Rainbow
by Angel Veins
Summary: A collection of oneshots of various pairings in Love Live! Feel free to request ideas and pairings. Pairings include: EliUmi, KotoUmi, NozoEli, NicoMaki, RinPana, HonoUmi, HonoElii, MakiPana and much more! For signbear. *Accepting Love Live Sunshine pairings!*
1. ElixUmi

A/N: Each chapter/oneshot will consist of a different pairing although most pairings will be repeated. Some oneshots may also have 'sequels' to them, if you get what I mean. I'll put the rating, the pairing and the title of the oneshot at the top of each chapter. And if you have a request, like an idea or a pairing, I'll happily accept it! Feel free to request! If there are no requests, I have plenty of ideas in mind so I'll just go with what I pick.

Enjoy, and R&amp;R please!

…

Title: Song of Fate

Pairing: ElixUmi

Rating: Probably a K+

…

Umi sighed as she headed towards the park that was just more than a few blocks away from her apartment. It was an early autumn evening and the blue **haired** girl was in the mood for some fresh air and relaxation after being cooped up in an office all day. That office would never perk up, would it?

She outstretched a hand and opened the rusted red gate before entering the small park. There wasn't many people around as it was evening and children would be at home by now with their families and probably eating a warm meal and people would have left already after walking their dogs to go back home to their boyfriend, girlfriend or family. Umi herself had no children and wasn't currently in a relationship; she mostly kept to herself.

The blue haired woman had often considered getting a little more social so she could meet that special someone that could make her happy and she could start a family of her own. Her parents, whenever they came to visit her or vice versa, always told her that they wished she was more social so maybe one day they could have grandchildren. Umi would scoff or blush at the idea on the outside but on the inside, she wondered if it wasn't such a bad idea.

As a child and teenager, Umi never really interacted with boys and often stuck with her friends. It wasn't that she disliked boys; she just preferred to stay with her friends. She found it weird that usually when the girls interacted with the boys, they would go bright red and look silly. She couldn't understand what made boys so important that a girl should have to look like a fool.

Her mother simply told her, when Umi explained all this to her, that when she was older she would understand.

The twenty two year old sat down on an empty wooden park bench and sighed again. Sometimes she wished she wasn't so awkward and could be more social and upbeat like her childhood friends Honoka and Kotori. The two of them had both found love with someone and started families. Kotori simply said that someone special would come along one day and then she would just know that that person was The One, just by looking at them.

Umi believed in no such thing. It wasn't possible that she would know just from looking at a person. And it was weird to look at a person for too long anyway.

Looking around the empty park, she kicked a few leaves with the toe of her white boot and watched as the golden and red leaves moved a few inches away from her and their original position. She tightened the hold of her jacket around her body and bit her lip. Why was she here again? Oh yeah, fresh air. Well it was fresh, but also freezing! Maybe she should leave now…?

Though something strange inside the blue **haired** woman was telling her to stay right where she was, and wait at least five minutes before leaving. And that's exactly what she did. There was no explanation for why she was still sitting on that park bench in the freezing autumn cold after work, until four minutes later after Umi had pulled out her sky blue IPod and **earphones** and was listening to Yuka Iguchi's Stand Still.

"Excuse me? Is it ok if I sit here?"

"Hm?" Umi looked up whilst stopping her music and pulling out her earphones, just about to respond when she locked eyes with the owner of the voice. Her words that she was going to say didn't matter anymore as they caught in her throat and her body froze as she felt herself fall deep into those eyes. The woman standing over her blinked her beautiful sky blue eyes and cocked her head to the side, her blonde ponytail falling over her shoulder. Never had Umi seen someone so beautiful before, ever. The blue haired woman cursed herself for staring, but she just couldn't rip her gaze away from the woman. There was something about her, if it wasn't her beauty, which captivated her.

"Are you ok?"

The blue haired woman was finally able to tear her eyes away from staring and found her words again so she could reply to the blonde. "U-Um, yes. D-Did you ask for a s-seat?" The ponytailed woman nodded. Umi nodded then scooted over from her spot on the bench so the woman still standing could it down.

"Thank you." The woman then walked closer and took the seat next to Umi. As she sat, she failed to notice the blue haired woman next to her staring at her again. Umi couldn't stop herself as her eyes ran up and down the blonde, taking in every single detail that her amber eyes could pick up on. Just from looking, Umi could tell that the woman was older than her due to the longer legs, better build and look of maturity. Yup, definitely older. Maybe twenty five or twenty six though she looked very young. She was wearing a light blue coat so it was impossible to tell what her top looked like but she could see that she was wearing navy jeans and light blue flats on her feet. It looked so adorable on the blonde that Umi had to bite her lip from crying out.

What was happening? This wasn't like her, not at all. It was clearly something to do with the woman sitting next to her. Could it be…?

No! It can't! Umi thought as she clenched her hands into fists at the thought. It surely wasn't that feeling that Kotori had told her about, was it? No, it just couldn't be! Love at first sight never happened in reality, only in movies! Then Kotori's words came back to her: One day that special someone would come along one day and that she would know that that person was The One just from looking at them. Umi blinked at the blonde again. So maybe it could be-

She was pulled from her thoughts (and her staring) when she heard a familiar song play, though when she looked at her IPod, she saw it wasn't from hers. Turning her head to the side, she saw the ponytailed girl next to her place a dark pink IPod on her lap and hum softly along with the song Umi loved. She could hear it, even when the woman's earphones were in. And before she could stop herself or even think about it…

"That's Yuka Iguchi, right?!" The blue haired woman cried excitedly, leaning closer to the blonde. The woman pulled out her earphone and moved back slightly, a little surprised by the stranger's sudden outburst of excitement over her music choice. She didn't know how to react.

Meanwhile, Umi bit her lip as she pulled back. She couldn't believe she had just done that! How could she be so foolish as to cry out randomly at a beautiful stranger!? She had never felt so embarrassed in her life! But…wasn't it strange that they were both playing the same song at the same time? It wasn't every day that that happened.

Oh god help me now, Umi pleaded mentally as the blonde paused her music and took out her other earphone and turned to face her. As Umi met her eyes, she didn't see any sign of anger as the woman placed her pink device back into her jacket pocket and licked her lips.

That single move made Umi's heart stop again.

"So you like Yuka Iguchi too, I'm guessing?" The blonde asked, clasping her delicate hands. Umi gulped as she tried to pluck up the courage to answer the question, licking her dry lips.

"Um, y-yes… L-Listen, I-I'm sorry for my sudden outburst just now. I-It's just…" Umi trailed off, not sure how to answer that she had discovered that they both were listening to the same song at the same time. The ponytailed girl cocked her head to the side again, looking even cuter than last time. Umi bit her lip harder.

"Go on," The older looking woman urged the younger looking one on with her answer. She looked desperate to know.

"W-Well… It's difficult to explain but…" Umi tried to remain calm but she ended up blurting out her answer in a rush anyway. "We are both listening to the same song at the same time!"

The blonde blinked before moving her gaze away from Umi and to her jacket pocket where her IPod was at the moment. Then she looked back at the woman sitting next to her and at her blue IPod. The blonde politely gestured towards the screen to take a closer look and Umi nodded before showing the blonde her screen. A picture of Yuka Iguchi appeared on the screen with the title 'Stand Still' in big letters above it with the pause button below it. The ponytailed girl just stared then pulled out her IPod again and stared at the screen, seeing the same picture with the same title on it.

This didn't make sense! This was crazy! How could two people possible listen to the same song at the same time in the same place whilst sitting right next to each other?!

It sounds weird but maybe… Maybe it's fate..? Umi shook the thought away and put her IPod back into her pocket as the blonde did the same. There was an awkward silence for a minute or two before the blonde spoke up.

"Eli Ayase," Umi turned to look at the blonde and saw the woman smiling and sticking her hand out as a greeting. "My name is Eli Ayase." Umi smiled as she took the hand, her heart pounding fast. The ponytailed girl's hand was so warm…

"Umi Sonoda," The blue haired woman replied softly. The blonde, Eli, nodded at the response and smiled a smile even sweeter than her last one. Umi felt her knees weaken at that smile, and felt them weaken even more when she realised they were still holding hands. The greeting was over now, right?

As if reading the blue haired woman's thoughts, Eli removed her hand from Umi's and nodded shyly. Umi backed away a little to give the blonde her personal space back, even though all she wanted to do was stay close to her…

"Well, this is funny," Eli laughed softly, reaching up to move some bangs out of her face. "I come here after dancing class and suddenly I find someone who shares my music interest! And knows when I listen to it to,"

"U-Um… W-Well…" Umi turned red. She didn't know what to say in response as the ponytailed girl giggled and smiled before saying in an upbeat tone,

"It's ok, Umi-san. We know each other's names now, so we're not strangers anymore!"

Umi blinked at the blonde before processing her words. They knew each other's names, they were still sitting next to each other on the park bench and they were still talking… So maybe Eli was right.

"I-I guess you're right…" Umi nodded, clasping her hands to stop from shaking. Eli cocked her head to the side.

"Are you cold?"

"A little bit."

"Then maybe you should go home…"

"No!" The response came out quicker than Umi expected and Eli blinked a few times in shock. Umi gulped whilst trying to regain her usual calmness. "I mean, we just met. I would like to get to know you more…"

Eli remained blinking, until she gave off a big happy grin and nodded. "Ok!" Umi had never felt so happy to finish work early and visit the local park.

…

"Wait, wait, wait." Eli clapped her hands in glee. "So you and your two friends actually climbed a tree when you were little? And you almost fell off?!"

Umi nodded, chuckling and brushing back her bangs with a hand. "Yes. Though we actually kind of did fall off. Honoka insisted we climbed it, and Kotori and I just went along with it. I guess it was worth it in the end though…"

"Hm?" Eli gestured for a continuation.

"Well, when we fell, we could see the whole city from that branch on the tree. There were so many lights and it just looked so beautiful. That sight is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my whole life…" Umi smiled softly. Eli nodded.

"That sounds wonderful. But Umi… Can I ask, did you ever date when you were a teenager?"

Umi blushed a bright scarlet as her mouth opened in an embarrassed and shocked gasp at the sudden question. The conversation had just taken a very sudden turn. Eli bit her lip to stop herself from bursting out laughing at the other woman's reaction. "So… I'll take that as a no?"

Umi nodded, reluctantly. "Yes… I've never really been one for…romance or anything along those lines. I just-" The blue haired woman stopped herself as she bit her lip. Eli nodded in an understanding.

"Me neither,"

Umi's head shot up at that and she stared at the blonde. "You haven't dated before?!" She tried to keep herself from shouting out the question to the whole city. Eli nodded, unfazed.

"You seem surprised by that?"

"Of course I am! I can't believe you haven't dated before! You're too beautiful to not!" Umi stopped as she realised what she had just said. Eli simply looked at her. "I-I mean-"

"You're too kind Umi! Really, you are. And adorable too!" Eli squealed as she pulled the younger girl into a hug. They had confirmed previously that Eli was in fact older than Umi by two years. Umi stiffened in the hug, not out of rudeness, but because she wasn't expecting this sort of response. Inside though, she was squealing with joy at being hugged by the other woman. Once Eli freed her from the hug, the blonde sighed in happiness before pulling out her IPod. Checking the time, Eli stood up before turning to Umi.

"Sorry, but I have to go now. I have to go and pick up my sister from her friend's house. I never realised it was this late. Time sure does fly, huh?" She laughed genuinely. "Thank you though, for the seat and everything."

Umi nodded before standing up too beside the woman. Eli smiled at her and before Umi could react, Eli hugged her again. "Thank you again Umi. Let's meet again!"

Umi nodded once the hug broke. The two had exchanged phone numbers sometime in the conversation. Eli nodded too before turning on her heel and walking towards the exit of the park. Once she reached it, she turned back and waved to the blue haired woman who happily waved back. Eli grinned and turned again before leaving the park without looking back.

Umi stared after her until long after she was gone and sighed. It had been so fun, yet Umi had had a hard time containing her excitement. Seriously, what was up with her?! She still refused that she liked the blonde more than a friend.

I mean, we've only spoke for a day! Umi thought as she left the park to head back to her apartment, I bet I never see her again...

It was a few hours later that the blue haired woman received a text from the blonde. She hadn't been expecting word from the other woman so soon… Or any word at all! Umi picked up her phone with a look of interest as she scanned over the text.

**Eli: Wanna go out somewhere on Saturday? **

Umi felt her heart flutter as she quickly tapped out a reply.

**Umi: Why not? I'm in. **


	2. ElixMaki

A/N: Hi everyone! First of all I'd like to thank everyone who faved, followed and reviewed my first oneshot: Song of Fate (EliUmi).

Requested pairings will be done and uploaded in the order they are presented in the Reviews section. So basically if you are the first to review a chapter with a request that will be done first. Though so that no one wastes their time requesting, I've chosen to do ALL the requests so far so it's fair to everyone. Also, if you request two possible pairings, I'll pick the one that I'm up for writing.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this chapter will be as follows:

KotoNico

MakiRin

MakiPana

HonoUmi

NicoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoEli

You can still request pairings after this chapter, but you may have to wait a while as I'm doing all the above ones first and I don't know how long I'll take with them. Thank you.

And lastly, this pairing was requested by kryuu27. Enjoy!

…

Title: It's Never Too Early…

Pairing: ElixMaki

Rating: K+

…

It was too cold.

Eli tossed and turned in her bed, wrapping herself in her blankets before rolling back and forth in her bed once more. She successfully managed to cocoon herself with three blankets as well as entangling herself in her long blonde **hair**.

After trying to move a bit to move some of her **hair** out of her face, she rolled back to where her pillow was and smacked her head down onto the soft cushion. The pillow let out a soft 'poof' sound in response as Eli snuggled her head into the soft object. She let out a content sigh and closed her eyes, hoping and wanting to get back to sleep as soon as possible.

…

It only took three minutes for her to open them back up again.

It was too hot.

The girl flailed, throwing her arms and legs outward in a starfish formation in frustration. She flung the blankets off with as much vigour and **energy** she could muster at 4AM. She accidently pulled her hair a few times, causing her to groan with mild pain and annoyance. As much as she loved her hair, sometimes it was an awful nuisance and got in the way. Eli grumbled about reminding herself to get a haircut as soon as possible.

She kicked off a blanket, which then got stuck to her foot due to the way it was tangled. After shaking her foot a few times, she gave up and slammed onto her back with a blanket draped over one foot and the other two now somewhere on the floor.

The springs of the bed bounced her up and down a couple of times before settling down once again. She groaned before closing her eyes and attempting to sleep again.

…

Five minutes. Cue open eyes.

The blonde let out a quiet frustrated 4AM cry of annoyance before sitting straight up. Sunlight was barely peeking out from behind the clouds, but a little bit filtered through her blue curtains, giving the room a dim light. It was calming, but not calm enough to lull her back to sleep.

She began to grope the bedside cabinet beside her, searching for something. The dim sunlight didn't give her enough light and she was too **tired** to bother turning on the lamp. Her hand bumped into the blue alarm clock there a few times as well as a framed picture. Finally, she found her phone.

Eli sighed as she turned it on, turning down the brightness, and scrolled through her contacts. With a press of a few buttons, she called her girlfriend and hoped she would answer.

The phone rang three times; Eli counted, before Maki picked up.

"Eli, it's 4 in the morning." Maki said on the other side of the call. She sounded extremely **tired** and a little bit irritated. Eli remembered that Maki wasn't a morning person, and 4AM counted as the morning. The blonde girl felt bad…but only a little.

"I know."

"Go to sleep then."

"I can't!" Eli whined childishly. The line was silent for a moment, and just when Eli had thought that Maki had hung up, there was a response,

"Did you marathon horror movies without me again?"

"N-No!"

Silence again.

"O-Ok, maybe, but that's not why I can't sleep! It was too cold, and then it got too hot- H-Hey! Stop laughing!" Eli pouted as she listened to the other line.

"I'm not laughing, Eli. It's too early to laugh."

"You chuckled."

"Eli, seriously, go to sleep."

"Talk to me!" The blonde said as she flopped back onto her bed, her phone up at her ear. She heard a sigh, and then some shuffling. A moment later, there was a reply,

"Ok. Now I'm sitting up and have a warm blanket around me. What do you want to talk about?" Maki asked, reluctantly.

Eli grinned. She reached for the blanket that was around her foot, untangled it and wrapped it around her again. Somehow, it made her feel closer to Maki. Even if it did get really warm, really quickly.

"Did you have any dreams?" She asked, randomly. She could practically see the redhead on the other end of the phone roll her eyes.

"I can't remember anything. I wonder why… Eli, mind letting me get back to sleep? I had a long night; school and all."

"We don't talk anymore!" Eli whined.

"It's 4AM,"

"So?" She heard a sigh.

"…I know you're pouting Eli. I'll call you back later, ok? I want to go to sleep." She heard a yawn.

"But it's Saturday! Don't leave me alone on a Saturday!" Eli whined again, turning on her side. Well, honestly, she was feeling a bit more guilty. But she really couldn't sleep and she wanted Maki to help her.

"I won't ever leave you alone…"

"…Then why did you move away?"

…

The blonde blinked. Where did that come from…? Was it because of how early it was? She wasn't sure what prompted her to say that… But she still wanted an answer.

Maki had moved away a few months ago. It wouldn't have been a big deal to Eli if the redhead hadn't moved miles and miles away. Maki wasn't the only one with school, so obviously Eli couldn't visit all the time and vice versa. It had been enough time for Eli to get used to only seeing her girlfriend through photos and hearing her voice through the phone, but it just wasn't the same as having her arm around her shoulder or just holding her hand.

The voice on the other end of the phone call had gone silent. It didn't take long for Eli to picture Maki twirling her hair around her finger, like she did when she was stuck for words, and sighing in irritation. She knew her well enough to guess her patterns.

"…Eli, I've told you before…"

"Tell me again."

"…Do we have to do this now?"

"Maki-chan…" It went quiet. Eli sat up and pulled her phone away from her ear. She stared at it, hoping it would somehow lead her back to Maki, or something. She wanted to see Maki's lips move with the words she spoke, not imagine them through a phone.

"…It's not like I wanted to, ok? I would've stayed with you if I could've. I would've stayed with everyone: Rin, Honoka, Nico… My parents thought it would be better if I moved here. Better education and all that junk."

"If it's all junk, why don't you move back here?" Eli's voice cracked as she held the phone desperately.

"You know I can't do that, Eli."

"We can't even see each other anymore! Sometimes we can't even talk because of your stupid school!" Eli nearly screamed into her phone, before realizing her parents and little sister were next door to her. She didn't want to be responsible for waking them and at such an early time too.

"Eli, quieten down. It's too early…"

"It seems I can only get answers out of you this early, so I think its fine."

"…"

"I can't even stop by and visit you anymore! I can't walk to school with you, I can't hang out with you, and I can't even hug you goodbye! Can't you do something? Anything?! Please…" The blonde pleaded softly.

"Eli, what's getting into you? You haven't sounded like this before…"

"I miss you!" The blonde cried, clutching the blanket close to her, close to tears. She nearly pulled out some of the loose threads. "I miss you…" Eli murmured before she buried her head in a pillow, waiting for Maki to respond. What if she said the wrong thing? Was it too early? Was that too sudden? Maybe she should've called Nozomi instead and let Maki sleep…

"…I'm annoying you, aren't I? I'll just hang up and go to sleep. Sorry for waking you. Goodby-"

"I'll see what I can do."

"W-What?"

"I'll come visit when school's done."

"W-Wait, really?"

"Isn't this what you've been asking for?"

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!" That was too sudden for the blonde to comprehend.

"Aw, my girlfriend doesn't know me well enough. All the more reason to go back and visit, I guess."

Eli took in a few breaths in surprise. She heard laughter echoing down the phone and she laughed along. Maybe it wasn't so early anymore…

"Love you Maki."

"…I love you too."

Eli smiled over the phone, practically seeing the redhead smile back, softly. "Sweet dreams, Maki-chan."

There was silence for a moment before Maki responded. "…Hey Eli-chan?"

"Hm?"

"…Could you stay up a little longer?"

Eli grinned, "Go to sleep Maki."


	3. KotorixNico

A/N: Hey! It's been a while, hasn't it? *checks calendar* I **updated** this in February! God, it has been ages! Sorry for the delay- I started this oneshot with a completely different idea; then I changed it a few times; left it alone for a while and then resumed work on it.

The order of the oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

MakiRin (next up)

MakiPana

HonoUmi

NicoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoEli

NozoMaki (this was a request that I forgot to include in the list last chapter)

NozoEli

So now onto the chapter! Enjoy!

…

Title: Trapped

Rating: K+

Pairing: KotoNico

…

It didn't surprise Nico Yazawa in the slightest when the second she exited the room, she came to the conclusion that she had had another boring day at work. God, was she so numb to it now that she could get through it THEN realise that the day had been boring? If her friends could see her now, they would laugh. Only after they recoiled in shock at the path the raven haired woman had gone down.

Years ago, when she was still in high school, she would talk non-stop about her dreams and plans to become a super cute idol that sang and danced to her heart's content, wearing the most amazing outfits and had lots of adoring fans. Her friends would smile politely and wish her luck for her future as Nico demonstrated cute poses and practiced smiles. But that was years ago.

Nico sighed as she started down the corridor towards the elevator. Yes, it had been years since she had had the thought of becoming an idol. She had changed from a bright eyed idol-bound high school girl to a grown woman that seemed like a completely different person.

Now, instead of being an idol, she worked in an office in a building with many large floors to it where many others worked for a living. Her dreams had whittled away the same moment she entered university and she had been left to find something else to do. Something just disappeared and all hope of becoming an adored idol got smaller and smaller until it went away completely. There was no chance that she could be what she wanted to be. So instead, she went down the same route as other undecided graduates.

The raven haired woman stopped as she reached her destination and pressed the button for the elevator. As she waited, her gaze turned to the carpeted floor beneath her whilst her hands gripped her briefcase tighter and her knuckles went white.

Nico wondered what would have happened if she had pursued her dream of being an idol. Images of her in pretty outfits, dancing and singing and signing autographs crossed her mind. It would have felt nice to be admired by so many people, and to wear such lovely outfits. It would have felt nice to be able to sing and dance in public without being given strange looks, and to be able to do both of those things to her heart's content. It would have been so nice…

A sharp beeping brought the woman out of her thoughts as the elevator doors opened to reveal an empty space waiting for her. Shaking her head, Nico entered. Reaching out, she found the button that read Ground Floor and prepared to press it. The sooner I get out of here the better, Nico thought. But just as she was about to press the button, a pleading voice reached her ears as pounding footsteps reached her ears.

"Please! Hold the door!"

Confused, Nico stepped forward and held the doors open so the stranger could get in. As the person finally reached the elevator, Nico stepped backwards from the door, allowing the person room to enter. Keeping her head down, the raven haired woman moved to the back of the elevator, not saying a word. But as the person let the doors close and pressed the Ground Floor button, Nico couldn't help but sneak a glance at the person.

And what she saw shocked her.

"K-Kotori-chan?" The raven haired woman's voice was barely audible but the other woman heard it. Turning around, she gasped.

"Nico-chan!" Kotori wasted no time in rushing over to the raven haired woman who she embraced tightly, her briefcase flung to the floor. Nico, still in shock, dropped her briefcase and hugged the other woman back just as tightly. As she buried her face in Kotori's shoulder, she inhaled her sweet scent that hadn't changed at all since high school.

It had been years since she had seen anyone she knew from high school. Sure, she heard about them a few times, what with Maki being a famous doctor and Hanayo a famous chef. The raven haired woman was happy for everyone, seeing as they had all followed their dreams and became something useful.

She had heard of Kotori a few times too. Kotori had gone on to be a fashion designer, in which she did her job very well. Nico remembered the various outfits Kotori made when they were all a part of Muse, and how everyone loved to dance and sing in such wonderful outfits. Nico had loved every moment she was wearing one of the outfits, but she had felt something even more wonderful towards the actual designer. And standing there in that elevator with her arms wrapped around her made it all come back to the raven haired woman. It was like she was falling in love all over again, and she couldn't help it. She knew it was sudden to not see the taupe woman for years, and then fall in love with her again.

Nico had never told the taupe haired designer what she felt for her back in high school, as every time she went to tell her, she felt weak and lost. She just couldn't do it. So she gave up, let time go by and then just left when she was ready to graduate. She had pushed all her feelings for the designer deep down. Nico knew that Kotori didn't like her in that way anyway…

Kotori stepped back from the embrace at last, leaving Nico feeling empty. The taupe woman smiled sweetly at the raven haired one as she bent down to pick up her briefcase. Nico did the same as Kotori started to speak.

"It's been such a long time, Nico-chan!" The raven haired girl nodded in agreement. Yes, it HAD been so long… Kotori's smile brightened. "I had no idea you worked in this building!"

"I never knew you worked in it either!" Nico exclaimed. Kotori shook her head.

"I don't. I'm here because my workplace is currently unavailable due to a series of reasons so I've been relocated here for the time being. Is that ok with you?"

Nico couldn't have been happier. "Why wouldn't I be?! I haven't seen you in years! I've missed you so much! I-" Nico hesitated at her last sentence. Ok, she was way too eager. But Kotori didn't seem to mind.

"So… How have you been doing?" Kotori asked. "You went to university, didn't you?" Nico nodded in reply. Kotori tilted her head to the side. "Didn't you go on to be an idol then?"

Nico bit her lip as she slowly shook her head. "It… It…just didn't seem right. Back in high school it was ok, but the second I reached those university doors, I-I lost the will to go through with it." She shrugged her shoulders and tried to give off a hearty laugh, but it came out as a sad squeak. "And I ended up working here. I hate it so much…" Kotori placed a comforting hand on the raven's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry, Nico-chan. But maybe it was your destiny to be something else! Something…different and unexpected!"

Nico cocked her head to the side. "Different? Like what?"

Kotori placed a finger on her chin. "Maybe… Maybe something like… A teacher!"

Nico choked in surprise. "A t-teacher? M-Me?"

Kotori smiled. "Well, you always struck me as the type to be able to help little children." Nico thought about it for a moment. Growing up with taking care of three younger siblings DID help there, she thought. The raven haired woman turned towards the taupe one and smiled.

"Well, I guess things worked out for you then? You always wanted to be a fashion designer, didn't you?" Kotori nodded in reply.

"Yup! I guess I was just lucky!"

Nico nodded. To her, Kotori seemed to always have a lucky streak within her. The raven wished that she could have the same luck, though she was happy that the taupe woman was happy.

She turned her head back towards the designer and her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't even taken notice of the changes that Kotori had taken on. Looking at her now, Nico could see that her lovely taupe hair had grown even longer, now reaching just above her thighs, but was still secured in a cute gold ribbon at the side. Her skin looked very soft, making the raven want to reach out and hold her again, and she had grown in height. Her beautiful amber eyes were brighter, her lips were fuller and her cheeks were rosy and cute.

Overall, Nico thought she looked beautiful.

I-I can't… I-I feel like I'm f-falling in love again…

Kotori cocked her head to the side. "Nico-chan?"

The raven haired woman shook her head and left behind her thoughts as she looked at the taupe woman. "Yes, Kotori-chan?" Kotori's cheeks reddened a bit, unlike her. Nico bit her lip in confusion.

"If you would… Would you like to-"

Her question was cut off when a massive jerk knocked the two off their feet, a loud shriek of metal scraping against metal echoing in the elevator as it finally jerked to a halt with the two still inside it. And they knew they weren't at the ground floor yet.

…

Nico opened her eyes and sat up, quietly groaning as she held her head. She noticed that her briefcase was no longer in her hand but lay at the front of the elevator, near the doors.

"Urgh… What the hell was that? Kotori…" Nico's head shot up. "Kotori?!" Her ruby eyes fell on the woman who was laying sprawled out a few feet away from her, her long hair fanning out behind her and her eyes closed. Assuming the worst, the raven moved towards her, no longer feeling light headed or confused. Reaching her at last, she shook her.

"Kotori-chan?!"

The taupe woman stirred after the fourth shake and blinked up at the raven woman. She sat up slowly, holding her head.

"Nico-chan? W-What happened?"

"I don't know. I think the elevator stopped. We're stuck between floors. We'll be here a while…" Thinking about it now, Nico looked around for the one useful thing that could help. Spotting it, she reluctantly left Kotori and picked up the help phone installed on the elevator's left wall. Explaining the situation as best she could, Nico sighed as she put the phone back and walked back to Kotori.

"Well?" The taupe woman asked curiously. Nico shook her head.

"It'll be at least an hour or two before we can get out. The fire department is on their way."

Kotori nodded her head and sighed deeply. This was not on her list of things to do. She had been hoping to finish work early, manage to get home before sunset and have a quiet night in. Yet here she was stuck in an elevator for the next hour or so. The taupe woman was glad she had Nico with her; if she was all alone by herself in this elevator, it would be terrifying.

Nico… She was the one person Kotori never expected to meet again after high school. Not that she was complaining. She was glad to see the raven again after so long.

Slowly turning her head back towards Nico, Kotori noticed she was looking the other way. She took this opportunity to take in the other woman's appearance. Really, nothing had changed at all. Her raven black hair may have grown longer but it was still styled in two small pigtails secured with red ribbons. She had grown taller and her eyes were sadly duller but somehow still contained a shine. The designer gulped as her heart caught in her mouth as Nico turned back towards her, as if feeling her eyes on her.

Kotori made to look away but her gaze remained stuck on the raven who returned the same look. It was silent, but it wasn't awkward.

What is this feeling…? The designer thought. Why can't I look away…?

If Kotori said that she hadn't felt anything for the raven back in high school, she was lying. Next to Nozomi and Eli, Nico received the designer's respect in high school. But there was a difference. Whereas Nozomi and Eli were rather older sister figures, Nico was something else entirely. She couldn't figure out what it was; what it was that made her heart thump louder and heat rush to her cheeks.

And now she had an idea. But even though it was years ago, the taupe woman felt those feelings rise again somehow.

Reluctantly, Nico was the first to pull away from their locked eyes. She blinked and looked around the elevator briefly before turning back to Kotori.

"So… What should we do to pass the time?"

…Half an hour later…

"So, you're not married?" Nico asked. Kotori shook her head.

"Nope. What about you?"

The raven laughed before shaking her head. "Nobody has ever given me a second glance! And I don't blame them!"

Kotori shook her head. "People must be silly if they don't take an interest in YOU, Nico-chan."

Nico stopped and blinked a few times. Did Kotori just compliment her? The taupe woman blushed as she realized what she had just said.

"Um, well, because you are interesting and entertaining and pretty and… Uh, I mean-!"

Nico smiled gently. "Thanks, Kotori-chan." Turning away, the taupe designer blushed even more. Nico sat back against the wall of the elevator next to her, thinking.

"So, how come you're not married, Kotori? I thought you would have been married and had children by now, seeing as it's you." She paused then quickly added, "And I mean that in a good way!"

Kotori chuckled before explaining. "Well, no one has really stood out to me I guess… Some people were kind and asked me out, but I preferred to just leave me options open. Something inside was telling me to wait…"

Nico cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Something told you to wait..?" Kotori nodded.

"And I am." There was silence for a few moments before Kotori broke it.

"Um, Nico-chan…?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to-?" Kotori was cut off when a sudden loud squeak echoed in the elevator and the phone rang. Nico stood up to go and answer it, Kotori following. Nico picked it up and listened before thanking the person on the other line. Placing it down, she smiled at Kotori.

"It's fixed a little bit now. We have to go onto the floor below and get out whilst we can."

Kotori nodded as she pressed the button that led to the floor below. The elevator started moving slowly whilst the women picked up their still discarded briefcases and stood waiting at the elevator doors. Silence filled those few moments before the elevator stopped again and the doors were pulled open.

Two men ushered them out and asked them if they were hurt, which they replied no. Then they were sent on their way whilst the men worked on the elevator.

"Hopefully, it'll be up and running perfectly again by tomorrow. We apologize for the trouble this has caused you today."

Nico shook her head. "No, no problem at all." Kotori nodded in agreement. Smiling, the two of them walked away, heading for the set of stairs at the end of the corridor.

"So… What are your plans for tonight?" Nico asked. Kotori shrugged.

"Maybe a quiet dinner, watch a movie…"

"Sounds good."

"And you"? The taupe woman returned the question. The raven shook her head.

"I'll know when I get there. It probably won't be as exciting as yours."

"Well in that case…" Kotori shot the raven woman a kind smile. "Why don't you join me for dinner and that movie tonight?"

"No, no I don't want to interrupt you…"

Kotori shook her head. "It'd be my pleasure." She reassured. So Nico nodded, feeling happier and happier every stair they went down. Finally, they reached the ground floor and walked out into the sunset together.

"Oh, and Kotori?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm picking the movie."

The taupe designer laughed. "Of course."


	4. MakixRin

A/N: Hi everyone! I finished this oneshot rather quick (I think) and I knew I wanted to finish it in time to upload it on Maki-chan's birthday! Seeing as Maki makes up part of the pairing MakiRin, which is today's pairing!

The order of the oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

MakiPana (next)

HonoUmi

NicoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoEli

NozoMaki

NozoEli

Enjoy the chapter! Happy birthday Maki-chan!

…

Title: The Good Kind of Accident

Rating: K+

Pairing: MakiRin

…

Maki sighed with great relief as she closed the door to her classroom behind her. Today's lesson couldn't have been more boring. The redhead had found herself clutching her pencil tighter and willing the clock to go faster as the teacher droned on and on about some boring topic Maki already couldn't remember. When the bell had rang she had shot up out of her seat along with many other students, packed all her equipment into her schoolbag and quickly exited the room.

Glancing at her watch on her wrist, she gasped in surprise. Lunch break had already started, and she had planned to meet Eli as soon as it started. Apparently, the blonde had something important she wanted to talk to the redhead about.

"I better hurry, or she'll think I'm not showing." She muttered. Clutching her bag tighter, the redhead headed for the closest set of stairs that led downstairs. Eli said she wanted them to meet at the clubroom, and that was on the other side of the building.

"Lucky me…" Maki muttered as she picked up her pace, sprinting down the stairs. She dodged numerous people, mumbling short apologies but not dropping the pace.

This all better be worth it… The redhead thought as she ran down another set of stairs. Glancing again at her watch, she panicked. She panicked so much that she didn't look where she was going and by the time she looked straight forward again, she and Rin were already tumbling down the remaining stairs. She heard Rin's surprised yelp and her own before the two crashed to the floor, the redhead on top of the other girl.

Maki was aware of a soft presence on her lips and that it felt nice, as if it belonged there. Opening her eyes slowly, she was shocked to see Rin's bright yellow eyes staring into hers and to find the orange haired girl's lips attached to her own. Panicking now that she knew what the soft presence was, the redhead pulled back immediately with a blush on her face and began stammering apologies. Rin just lay on her back on the floor, staring. Maki stood up, offering her hand to the other girl who took it slowly. Once she was standing upright, Rin turned to the blushing girl.

"Maki-chan…"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm such an idiot..! I'm sorry!" Closing her eyes tightly, Maki bit her lip before bending down to pick up her fallen bag. Opening her eyes again, that was when she noticed all the other pairs of eyes on the two of them and the gasps and whispers. Feeling dreadfully embarrassed, she clenched her fists tightly. "I-I should go," The redhead pushed past Rin and sprinted away from the scene, trying to keep in tears.

"Maki-chan…" Even though it was a whisper, the words still reached the redhead's ears but it only made her run faster, leaving a baffled orange haired girl behind her with her arm outstretched.

…

I can't believe I just did that! I can't believe I just kissed Rin! How could I?! What if that was her first kiss?! I didn't have the right to have taken that! I'm such an idiot! H-How could I…?

But her lips were so warm… And it felt right… Wait, what am I thinking..?! Could I..?

Pushing her thoughts aside, Maki wiped her eyes and straightened her uniform as she reached the door to the clubroom. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she smiled the best smile she could manage at the moment towards the equally smiling blonde awaiting her.

"Hi, Maki-chan!"

"Hi, Eli-chan. Sorry I was late."

"That's ok." Eli reassured the first year. Maki stepped more into the room. Cutting straight to the point, Maki set her bag down on the table. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Still smiling, Eli approached her. Maki became worried as it looked like the blonde was going to start crying with happiness. What the hell was going on?!

"Eli?! What's happened?!" Frightened, Maki felt her tone rise slightly. Eli continued smiling and before Maki could register what was happening, the blonde had her arms around the redhead, trapping her in a hug.

"E-Eli…?"

"Nozomi asked me out."

Maki froze and pulled back from the blonde. "What?!" The blonde nodded, tears of joy gathering in her sky blue eyes. Maki could suddenly feel the guilt from the previous event fade away a little as she hugged the blonde again. "That's brilliant!"

Eli hugged back. "I accepted. She wants to take me out today after school."

"So soon?!"

"Yes! I'm so happy!"

"Me too!" The two hugged even tighter. Maki was indeed happy for her friend, whom she called her best friend. Over the past few months, Maki had made efforts to open up more to her fellow Muse members and it seemed to work. She and Eli got along well and pretty soon they became the best of friends. It was much better getting along and opening up to her friends than hiding her feelings around them.

But will I be able to do that now with Rin..?

Pulling back again, Maki thought. Should I tell Eli…? Maybe she could help; she is a third year after all…

"Um, Eli…?"

"Yes, Maki-chan?" The blonde smiled. Maki gulped. What would she say about this? How would she take it? Biting her lip, the redhead shook her head.

"No, forget it. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm ok."

Nodding, Eli picked up her bag which she had placed on the table when she had gotten here. "Well, that's it. I'll be going now. Nozomi and Nico will be waiting for me."

"Of course." Maki smiled. "Wouldn't want to keep your girlfriend waiting!"

Eli blushed as she placed her bag over her shoulder. Heading towards the door, she turned back towards the redhead. "So, are you going off to meet Hanayo and Rin?"

At the last name, Maki froze. Rin… What was she going to do? She couldn't sit with her at lunch. The tension would be high and everyone would be looking. And Maki didn't want to embarrass Rin, or Hanayo.

Shaking her head, Maki spoke. "No, I think I'm gonna go look for Honoka and the others. There are some ideas I want to go over with them."

Nodding her head gently, Eli smiled. "Sounds good. I can't wait to hear those ideas at practice tomorrow. Today's is cancelled due to…you know…"

Maki smirked. "I know." Picking up her bag, she followed the blonde out the door, closing it behind her. "Have fun and text me tonight to let me know details!"

"Of course!" Eli laughed. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah. See you." And with that, the two parted ways. Maki turned around, gripping her bag tighter. Now to find the three second years. What she had told Eli wasn't exactly a lie. There were ideas that she wanted the second years to hear, but she mostly just wanted to escape more humiliation and guilt. And to spare Rin the same.

…

"Honoka!"

The ginger haired girl turned around at the sound of her name, swallowing her piece of bread. Spotting the person that called her, she waved wildly, almost hitting Umi in the face.

"Honoka! Watch where you're swinging your hand!"

"Sorry, Umi-chan! But look, it's Maki-chan!"

"You're right. But what's she doing here?"

Honoka shrugged at the question before calling out. "Maki-chan! Over here!" Said redhead caught sight of the ginger second year and made her way over to her. Once she reached her, Honoka finally put her hand down, making the blue haired girl next to her sigh in relief. She had been so close to getting smacked in the face…

Turning to the newcomer, she smiled. "Maki, what brings you here? Shouldn't you be with Rin and Hanayo right now?" The blue haired girl watched Maki's reaction and swore she saw the redhead gulp.

"Um… They had something to do, and I decided to come and find you. I-Is it all right if I sit with you?"

Honoka nodded eagerly before Umi could properly answer and patted the seat on the bench next to her. Maki sat down cautiously, placing her bag on the grass in front of the bench. Looking around, the redhead noticed Kotori was missing.

"Where's Kotori?"

Honoka smiled. "She's filling up her water bottle. Though she should be back by now. I'll go find her!" Jumping off her spot on the bench, the energy filled second year went off in search for her taupe haired friend, leaving Maki and Umi alone together. Once Honoka was out of earshot and sight, Umi turned to Maki.

"What really happened?"

Maki froze. "W-What?"

"I know you're lying about Rin and Hanayo. What's really going on?" Maki sighed. She should have known Umi was smart enough to pick up on anything strange. Why couldn't it have been Umi away filling her water bottle?! Kotori would have been easier to get around, and Honoka hadn't picked up on a thing.

Maki sighed again, in defeat before turning to the blue haired girl who was waiting patiently. She leaned in closer to the girl before speaking.

"You can't tell anyone."

Umi nodded. The lyrics writer knew when to keep quiet and wanted Maki to trust her. Maki gulped before proceeding to explain the 'incident'. As she told her story, Umi couldn't help but gasp as her eyes widened.

"Oh my god…"

"It's terrible," Maki hid her face in her hands, tears brimming her violet eyes. "Everyone saw it. And Rin will never want to speak to me again!"

Umi felt pity for her friend and placed a comforting hand on the first year's shoulder. She didn't really know which words would comfort the redhead at the moment, but it was worth a try.

"I'm sure not EVERYONE saw." Umi said politely.

"But majority of the first years did! All of them are in my classes! I'll never be able to avoid the embarrassment!"

Umi placed her other hand on her chin, thinking. She knew herself about embarrassment and knew how hard it was to stay calm. She remembered the time when she, Kotori and Honoka first became idols and created Muse. It had been embarrassing when people recognised her and asked for photos and autographs, but now the blue haired girl was confident enough to no longer be embarrassed.

Ok, maybe that's not the same as what Maki is going through right now… Umi thought as she bit her lip. Suddenly a thought struck her as she turned back to the mumbling redhead.

"She'll never want to speak to me again…"

"Hey!" Umi, uncharacteristically, suddenly grabbed both of Maki's shoulders. The first year pulled her head out of her hands in shock, staring with a confused expression at the blue haired girl.

"Wha-?"

"Why would you think that?!" Umi shook the redhead, gently but still a little firmly. "You should know Rin better by now! Of course she will talk to you again! Rin isn't like that!"

Maki stared at the second year, shocked at her uncharacteristic outburst. But at the same time, her words started to make sense and give her hope. Maybe Rin would talk to her again…

"Umi…"The second year suddenly pulled back, placing her hands in her lap.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me…"

"Umi-chan," Umi looked up, shocked. Maki gave a small smile. "Thank you." Umi smiled back.

"No problem, Maki-chan."

"Guys! We're back!"

The two looked up, spotting Honoka returning with Kotori. As they reached the bench, Kotori smiled as she seated herself down next to Maki.

"Hi, Maki-chan! It's nice of you to join us!"

Maki nodded. "Yeah. It's nice to see you Kotori." The taupe girl looked pleased. Maki was just glad that she hadn't asked about Rin and Hanayo.

Rin…

…

The bell rang loudly, followed by the sounds of students packing up their belongings and heading to their next class. The four members of Muse stood up, collected their bags and headed towards their classes. Umi stopped walking and let Honoka and Kotori go on ahead whilst she walked beside Maki. The redhead bit her lip, knowing what was coming. Umi nodded.

"Go and talk to her. I guarantee you that she'll still be the same around you." Maki lifted her head and smiled at the blue haired second year who returned the smile.

"Thanks, Umi."

"You've already said that today!" Umi chuckled. "Now let's get going or we'll miss class!"

…

She didn't even need to turn her head to know who was standing beside her. But even so, she kept her gaze on the floor. She heard a small sigh.

"Maki-chan…"

Finally, the redhead looked up. Violet and yellow eyes locked. The two first years remained staring into each other's eyes for what felt like hours, until Rin broke away, blinking. Maki blinked as well as she gulped, before closing her eyes tightly, fearing what the orange haired girl was going to say.

"Maki-chan… Are you mad at me, nya?"

The redhead's eyes shot open as she stared in horror at the other girl. Rin thought she was mad at her?! Oh god, what was she supposed to do?!

"Rin…" Maki looked away, shyly. "I'm not mad at you… Why would I be?"

"Well, after we kissed, you just left nya. And you never sat with me and Kayochin at lunch, nya." Rin bit her lip. "I thought you were mad at me…"

Maki grabbed a hold of the orange haired girl's shoulders, gently, and held her there. "I could never be mad at you! I would slap myself if I ever THOUGHT of getting mad at you!"

At first, Rin looked terrified when Maki had grabbed her, but now she cocked her head to the side in confusion. The redheaded first year cursed herself as she pulled back. Rin kept her head cocked to the side, awaiting an answer for the sudden outburst.

"Rin… I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to-"

"Maki-chan's cute when she's embarrassed!"

"Eh?!" Maki snapped out of her stammering as she stared at the giggling Rin who was pointing at her. "W-Wha-?"

Rin stopped giggling and moved closer to her, before embracing her gently. Maki, shocked, returned the embrace. She was so glad Hanayo had gone home already so she didn't need to witness this. She could just imagine the brunette fainting on the spot after witnessing the two first years embracing in an empty classroom. She was also glad that the teacher and the other first years were gone.

Maki smiled gently as she tightened her hold on the orange haired girl in her arms. It felt nice… It felt RIGHT... Maybe… Just MAYBE, she was falling in love with the short girl in her arms…

"Maki-chan… There's something Rin has been meaning to tell you…" Moving back in the embrace, Rin looked up at the elder one whilst biting her lip. The redhead looked confused but nodded her head, signalling that she would listen. The orange haired girl took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak,

"U-Um… Maki-chan…" Rin twiddled her thumbs awkwardly. Maki never knew Rin as a shy type of person, so she wondered what could reduce the usually energetic girl to twiddling her thumbs.

"Um… What Rin wants to say is…" Rin took another deep breath before suddenly blurting it out. "I love you!"

Maki froze as she stared at the panting orange haired girl. Rin…loved her? Like…that? Maki's mouth opened in shock as Rin looked away uncomfortably. She went to walk away, fearing the worst when a hand grabbed hers. Looking back, she noticed Maki had grabbed her hand, preventing her from leaving. The redhead had a smile on her face.

"Rin… I love you too." Rin's mouth opened in shock, not expecting that sort of answer. After the shock passed, the cat-like girl launched herself into the redhead's arms again. Maki, surprised, shook off her shock and hugged her back.

She was shocked at the words that left her mouth, but then realized that she meant them. And right now, the incident earlier didn't matter to the redhead at all. It didn't matter that the kiss had been an accident and it didn't matter that most of the first years in both their classes had seen it. The kiss had been…the good sort of accident.

"Rin…"

"Maki-chan, Rin liked that kiss earlier. It's mean, but Rin is glad you crashed into me and we fell down those stairs."

Maki smiled. "I'm glad too. Otherwise, this wouldn't be happening right now."

Rin shook her head. "Rin was planning to confess to Maki-chan today anyway, stairs or no stairs, nya."

"Really?" The redhead wished she had the orange haired girl's confidence.

"Um, Maki-chan? Should we go home, nya? Practice is cancelled, isn't it?"

Maki nodded, picking up her bag as Rin did the same. "Yeah. A teacher might walk by and wonder why we're still here."

The two made their way out of the empty school together. Sometime on the walk, Rin reached out and grabbed the other girl's hand. Maki blushed as she bit her lip whilst smiling. Rin gave her an adorable smile, a blush visible on her cheeks too. They headed towards Maki's house, still holding hands. They held hands all the way there.

Once outside the redhead's house, Rin let go of her hand. Maki felt disappointed, but as she was about to open the gate, Rin came closer and kissed the redhead gently on the lips. Maki felt herself melt into the kiss, as did Rin. Rin pulled back, blushing harder. The same blush was visible on her now girlfriend's face too.

"Well, bye Maki-chan! See you tomorrow, nya!" The orange haired girl walked away, waving. The redhead waved back, slightly dizzy. Even though the kiss had ended, Maki could still taste Rin on her lips. A mixture of orange, mint and chocolate. Sighing gently, Maki turned and opened the gate to her house before proceeding up the path.

Yeah, it was definitely the good kind of accident.


	5. HonokaxUmi

A/N: Hey everyone! A little later than usual but I plan to upload pretty quickly from now on (hopefully). I've been pretty busy lately with SIF and school so I haven't had much time to write. But I'm good to do it now!

This chapter is not MakiPana like it should be and I apologize for that. I couldn't really think of anything to write for it so I jumped to the next pairing on the list: HonoUmi. So this chapter is NOT MakiPana. MakiPana will be the next chapter, sorry again.

Anyways, I thought with this oneshot I'd try something a little…different from the previous oneshots in here already.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this:

MakiPana (Definitely Next)

NicoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoEli

NozoMaki

NozoEli

Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to R it makes me happy and helps me write faster XD.

…

Title: What A Nightmare

Rating: K+

Pairing: HonoUmi

…

Tears began to pool in her sapphire eyes and she held her breath as she built up the courage to glance over her shoulder at her. Her dark blue hair that ran down her back was slightly tousled by the evening breeze but other than that, there was no other movement from the taller woman behind. Lurching forward, the sapphire eyed woman tried to speak but found that when she opened her mouth to speak, only a small raspy sound came out, a sound that was completely foreign to her.

Upon hearing her, the blue haired woman locked eyes with hers and in that moment, the shorter woman couldn't breathe, blink or look away. All she could do was stare into those bright amber jewels that were the bluenette woman's eyes, a look of terror written in her own sapphire orbs.

"Honoka-"

"No." Finally finding her voice, she interrupted the other woman.

"Come on, its-"

"No!" She covered her ears tightly, not wanting to hear the horrible phrase that she knew was going to leave the other's lips.

"This, Honoka, whatever you want to call it, is over and there is absolutely nothing that you or I can do about it." Pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing, Umi tried desperately to fight off the increasing headache as she hoped that this was the situation coming to an end. _I just want to go home… Can't she understand that? _She thought desperately.

Panicking, Honoka tried to take a step forward but her legs betrayed her and she was left completely immobilized. "Why…?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Allowing another sigh to escape her, Umi shifted her eyes towards the ground, guilt rising in her chest. "I can't help it; it's just the proper time for this to happen."

Feeling the porcelain pieces of her heart begin to shatter, heavy tears collected at the sides of both her eyes before running down her face. Staining her delicate cheeks with mascara coloured tears. "It can't be, Umi-chan."

"But it is, Honoka," The bluenette paused, looking up. "The ice cream shop is closed now."

Unable to hold herself up on weak legs any longer, Honoka sunk to the floor. "NO!" She yelled, attracting the attention of strangers who paused to stare at her with weird expressions. Feeling sweat beginning to form at her temples and her cheeks go bright red from obvious embarrassment, Umi rushed forward to her wife's side.

"Honoka, stop crying. We can still go to the grocery store and-"

"But it's not the same!" Honoka whined whilst Umi's hands unconsciously rested on her swollen stomach. "Don't touch me!" The ginger suddenly screamed. A shocked Umi removed her hands immediately and could only watch with slight horror as the ginger's expression filled with fury. "This is all your fault!" She yelled, poking the bluenette in the chest with a bony index finger.

"H-How?" Umi asked timidly, before her face hardened into as firm expression. "I told you I was going to work longer today, didn't I? Why didn't you go yourself?!"

"What?! Are you kidding me?! You expect me to waddle five blocks by myself in my condition?!" Honoka shot back, pointing at her stomach. "This baby and I are leaving you!" The ginger declared, trying to stand up by herself.

"Do you need-"

"I can do it myself!" Honoka used all her strength to pick herself up off the ground. With a hand at her lower back, the ginger slowly walked away from the still shocked bluenette whose amber eyes were glued to her. Fighting against the thought to let her walk off to teach her a lesson, she chased after the ginger.

_Just remember Maki's words, Umi. Pregnant women have mood swings and it's best to just relax and do your best. Though she is kinda right about it being my fault I guess…_

Umi rubbed the back of her neck as she walked a few feet behind Honoka. Even though she knew the ginger didn't mean it, it was merely the hormones acting up, it still stung.

It was weird, terrifying and an experience when Honoka went off in a mood swing. The bluenette wasn't used to seeing the ginger get so riled up over simple things and it was so new. It was as if a new Honoka had come and replaced the old one.

Umi was now forever taking deep breaths and counting to ten in her head to stay calm. When they were younger, the bluenette would always tell Honoka off for her wrongs, but now she couldn't just simply do that. In her current condition nowadays, the ginger would either start crying or attack her either physically or verbally. It was actually pretty scary. But Umi was never the type to give up, so she was putting up with it. Both for herself and Honoka.

"But just think of what you'll get out of it, Umi-chan!" Kotori often told her when she visited and walked in on one of Honoka's mood swings. Umi would nod in agreement. Of course, she was looking forward to when these nine months were done and they could become a family. It would be amazing and would join her and Honoka in a new way.

_I just wish I could take a break though… _The bluenette couldn't help but think as she continued walking. That was when she realized that Honoka was no longer walking in front of her and had disappeared from her sight. Stopping, the bluenette looked around for her wife in confusion. "Where…?"

Just then, a shrill scream penetrated her eardrum.

But not just any scream.

No, this scream belonged to her one and only.

"Honoka!" She called out, panic running through her. Racing around the corner as quickly as her feet could manage, she found her beloved standing on a street corner. "Honoka, are you ok?!" The bluenette questioned, her hands landing on her shoulders.

"Umi-chan!" The ginger cried out. "Get the car!"

"The baby, is it ok?!"

Honoka froze and stared at her lover with a confused expression. "No stupid, the baby is fine!"

Umi stared at her with wide eyes, utterly bewildered. "…Then what?"

Honoka's eyes brightened immediately and a smile etched on to her face. "The greatest thing has happened!" Taking a gentle hold of the bluenette's chin, she forced her to look towards a store across the street.

"Baskin-Robbins…" The bluenette read off the sign that was hanging above the door.

"Isn't it great?! Their drive thru is open late! Go get the car right now!" With all the strength she had, Honoka pushed her wife back in the direction they had come towards their car.

Sighing for the third time, Umi did what she was told, knowing better than to argue with the ginger right now and not wanting to upset her anymore. She turned and headed back down the street to go and get their car. As she turned the corner, she sneaked a glance at Honoka who was still eyeing up the store and had a cute look of glee on her face. Umi smiled at the sight.

_Oh well… Anything to keep her happy, I guess. _

And so fifteen minutes later, the two were back in their apartment. Umi watched as her happy wife devoured her tasty treat, satisfied that all the drama was over. For now anyway. Her ears pricked up as Honoka spoke.

"I love you," She whispered. A genuine smile spread across Umi's face as her amber eyes softened with love at her wife's words.

"I love you too." She replied.

The ginger's head shot up, her cheeks a little red. "Eh?! Oh! I love you too, Umi-chan."


	6. MakixHanayo

A/N: Hi! This update is pretty quick from my point of view, which is good of course! I've managed to write MakiPana at last after a little trouble with it.

Maki may seem a little OOC in this oneshot and so might Hanayo… Just so you know. And also, there's a surprise pairing in this oneshot so look out for it!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NicoMaki (Next)

KotoUmi

HonoEli

NozoMaki

NozoEli

Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to R&amp;R! XD

…

Title: I Just Want To Hold Your Hand

Rating: K+

Pairing: MakiPana

…

This was ridiculous.

It was crazy how much Hanayo liked her, yet was unable to show it. Far too shy to express it in any way other than secretly obsessing over her and then getting frustrated when she didn't notice how much she liked her. It was ridiculous how much she wanted to be with her- be close to her and more than ever, just grab her hand and hold it.

Hanayo sighed.

It was another long walk home after Muse practice on the school's rooftop, and the sun was starting to set in the sky, casting shadows over the two walking figures. It was a quiet walk for the most part as Rin had decided to walk home with Honoka instead as the ginger had tripped and sprained her ankle during practice and the orange haired girl didn't want the second year injuring herself further. The others had things to do after practice so there was no one else to take her home and nobody else went that way home.

So that left Hanayo with her other friend, her crush.

Hanayo walked slowly, not able to think of anything other than how close the two of them were and how easy it would be to just reach out, grab her hand and hold it. The brunette squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out those thoughts. She opened them again, looking to her left side at the redhead that was her crush.

Maki Nishikino.

Noticing that the brunette was looking at her, Maki glanced back with a small smile on her face. Hanayo could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and in that moment she just wanted to confess everything. Instead, her face went bright red and she forced herself to look away shyly.

Strangely, Maki let out a chuckle.

"I-Is something funny, Maki-chan?" Hanayo asked shyly.

The redhead shook her head. "Nothing, but you blush a lot. Did you know that?" She pointed out.

The brunette dropped her head. "Yes…" It was ridiculous how easily flustered she got. It was ridiculous just how oblivious she was to the fact that it was no secret she had a crush on the redhead. Everyone knew, even Maki herself, though she held herself back from confronting it because it was strange and also rather cute to watch her get so flustered. She blushed a lot, especially around Maki. And honestly, the redhead liked it.

"Around me a lot too… Is there a reason why?" Maki asked, her violet eyes glinting.

Hanayo jumped in surprise. "W-What?" She stuttered, gulping. She could feel her heart beat speed up as another blush crossed her cheeks. She shook her head. "I-It's nothing! Don't worry about it!"

Maki simply chuckled again as she shrugged. "Whatever you say, Hanayo." The brunette lowered her head again.

It was silent once more as the pair continued on, tackling through the crisp fall air, the setting sun beating down on them. It was slightly chilly, but not enough to have to bundle up. Just perfect. Just the perfect weather for cuddling too. Hanayo tried not to think about all the things that she and Maki could be doing right now, but weren't.

The brunette was somewhat of a romantic. She loved the thought of being with someone she cared (in this case, Maki), and doing cute couple things. She wished she could walk hand in hand with her or hug her tight without it being weird or even give a small peck on the cheek.

But no.

Right now, all they would manage to be was friends. Maki wasn't the romantic type anyway.

It wasn't that they had a bad friendship; no, they had a great friendship! Hanayo confined to the redhead about almost everything and she would listen and give advice if needed. Rin was Hanayo's best friend and she could confine in her too, but the orange haired girl couldn't really sit still and listen like Maki could.

The brunette couldn't count all the times she had come running to the redhead with a problem which the redhead always gave a suitable answer for, and on top of that, she didn't judge her! Somewhere along the way, Hanayo just happened to fall in love with the girl but was darned with crippling shyness which made it difficult to express her feelings of how much she liked her and how much she wanted to be around her.

The two were already around each other a lot, but if they could be closer… Hanayo would be happy.

The brunette let out a soft sigh to herself.

Maki, seeming to notice the sigh and sense her worry, looked at her. "Is something wrong?" She asked, quite wanting to know the answer.

Hanayo looked back at her, her eyebrows curved upwards. "It's…nothing." She said quietly, looking away whilst mentally cursing her shyness. Maki bit her lip as a few moments of silence passed between. Then she made a move.

"Hey," The redhead said with a smile, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Hanayo looked back at her, her heart beating loudly in her chest at the sight of Maki's smiling face. "It's obviously something… You've been doing a lot of sighing in the past few minutes."

Hanayo could feel her cheeks heat up. Had she really? She hadn't even noticed. The girl forced a smile. "It's just that… T-There's someone I like, I guess…" She couldn't believe she was going down this road. How cliché. "B-But I don't know how to tell them…" She bit her lip, her cheeks still bright red, like her crush's hair. What if Maki found out it was her? The brunette shook her head before the redhead could get a word in. "Actually, never mind! I think I figured it out…" She gulped, bluffing. Obviously she didn't know how to, or she would have told Maki a long time ago and they could possibly be kissing, or holding hands right now.

Maki raised a brow. "O...kay?" She was as confused as ever. Hanayo was a confusing person.

Not that she minded.

However, she could feel a slight concern growing in her stomach. She had to admit it; she did have a tiny crush on Hanayo…just a little. The redhead's heart jumped a little at the thought. Even though Maki knew that Hanayo was possibly talking about her, what if it was someone else? What if she and the others had been wrong and Hanayo didn't have a crush on her at all? It just kind of seemed that way.

And even if she hadn't 'figured it out', Maki wasn't sure that she would want to give the brunette any advice. Because she wasn't sure that she wanted to see Hanayo with someone else. And no, she was definitely not jealous. But…she really didn't want to lose Hanayo to some…other person.

The thought kind of stressed the redhead out. She let out a sigh as she brought her right hand up to brush away some strands of scarlet hair that had blown into her face, and right as she went to lower it, her hand brushed against Hanayo's left one.

They both jumped.

"S-Sorry!" Hanayo squeaked, her face going bright red again and Maki couldn't help but laugh kindly. No, it was obvious that the brunette liked her. She wouldn't be blushing this much if it wasn't.

The redhead shook her head. "Don't worry about it." Hanayo gulped as she nodded slowly, twiddling her thumbs.

And as they continued on, Maki couldn't help but notice how the brunette was staring at her hand, her cheeks still dusted with a blush. A cheeky and uncharacteristic thought came to the redhead's mind and a small smirk came to her lips.

With a swift movement, she reached out to grab Hanayo's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. She could feel the brunette stiffen up and she let out a chuckle.

Hanayo looked at her. "W-What are you doing, Maki-chan?!" She asked in a panicked tone.

Maki smiled with a glint in her eyes as a blush covered her cheeks. "As if you weren't making it obvious enough that you wanted to hold my hand. Geez, Hanayo. If you wanted to, you could have just asked." The redhead gave the brunette's hand a light squeeze for emphasis.

Hanayo could only stare back in shock and confusion. This was so unlike Maki; what was going on?! The redhead was never this willing to do things like this! The brunette looked down at their joined hands and her eyes softened. She let out a quiet giggle as she looked at the path ahead of them.

"Was it obvious…?" She mumbled out.

Maki nodded. "Almost as obvious as your crush on me."

Hanayo's eyes went wide. "W-What?!"

"Don't play dumb, Hanayo. I know you've liked me, for some time now…" Maki said back, blinking softly.

Hanayo bit her lip whilst she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "How though…?" She couldn't have been that obvious! She thought she was doing well in hiding it!

Maki laughed. "Come on now. We hangout enough- I think I'd know you well enough to figure out if you like me in that way or not." She flipped her hair out of her face, pausing briefly. She looked back at Hanayo, and revealed the true reason. "Plus, I don't think I've ever met anyone who has ever blushed around me as much as you do." The redhead chuckled softly as Hanayo turned even redder.

"So it was obvious…huh…?" She sighed, her brown bangs hiding her face from Maki.

"Very obvious."

They both knew just how bad Hanayo was at lying and keeping secrets and all. She always twiddled her thumbs when she was lying. She was much more oblivious than she thought she was.

Oh well.

"Hanayo," Maki's cheeks went as red as her hair as the brunette turned to her. "F-Feel free to hold my hand a-anytime…"

The brunette smiled with relief and happiness as she brushed her bangs out of her face and gave a genuine smile, her cheeks light red. "If that's fine with you, Maki-chan…"

The two walked down the path, their hands connected together and a light blush crossing their cheeks as they smiled happily.

At least Hanayo's wish of wanting to hold hands with Maki came true, and in the end, the redhead knowing about her crush on her wasn't so bad after all.

Win win.

…

Honoka smirked as she watched the two first years from a few bushes, nodding in satisfaction at the sight of their joined hands as her blue eyes bubbled with excitement and happiness. Rin fidgeted a few feet behind her.

"Honoka-chan, what are we doing here? Didn't you hurt your ankle? Shouldn't we go home?"

The ginger girl grinned at Rin as she pulled the first year forward so she could see the redhead and brunette. "I didn't really hurt my ankle, Rin-chan. But look!"

The orange haired girl took in the sight of her two best friends holding hands and her gaze softened. She had been one of the first people to know about Hanayo's crush on Maki as she was the brunette's best friend after all and could easily guess the girl's sudden change around the redhead. She supported the two and wanted them to get together.

Rin looked at Honoka who was still eagerly watching the happy scene through the bushes. It was weird. Out of all people, Rin had thought it would be Nozomi that would try to get the two together with some scheme of hers, but it was Honoka that made the first move!

Rin knew that Honoka cared for the two first years and liked to see all of her friends happy, and that's what made the orange haired girl love her.

"So…" Rin cocked her head to the side. "Was that all part of the plan, Honoka-chan?"

Honoka nodded delightedly. "Yup! And it worked! You see, if you were there then Hanayo-chan wouldn't have said anything but since you weren't, she managed to confess! In a different way, I suppose." The ginger scratched her head. "I wasn't expecting Maki-chan to respond so well though... But who cares now anyways?"

Rin laughed as she looked through the bushes again. "Um, Honoka-chan, they're gone now."

"Eh?!" The ginger stuck her head back through the bushes and sure enough; the redhead and brunette had disappeared. She sank back and pouted. "Aw, I would've liked to have seen more…"

Rin moved closer to the ginger. "It's all right, Honoka-chan! You'll get to see more tomorrow when they tell everyone that they're together at practice!" Honoka nodded happily as she stood up, brushing off grass that stuck to her skirt. Rin followed and the two started walking.

As they walked, Rin grabbed Honoka's swinging hand and smiled cutely. The ginger smiled back cheerfully, and they continued down the path.


	7. NicoxMaki

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! And I'm back with NicoMaki! Ok so I'm abroad right now so apologies if the update is a little jumpy. I'm having to update from my phone as well which adds to the jumpiness.

I did my best to keep both the couple in character, though Nico may seem a little OOC. But I think Maki is more like herself than she was the last chapter.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this:

KotoUmi

HonoEli

NozoMaki

NozoEli

UmiMaki

HonoMaki

KotoNico

UmiRin

EliMaki

Enjoy! XD

...

Title: She's A Puzzle

Rating: K+

Pairing: NicoMaki

...

"Whenever you're ready."

The words were the slightest bit teasing. The girl that had said them twirled one of her black pigtails around her finger, developing her girlfriend's habit, as she watched with a slightly irritated expression. She was standing in the doorway of her girlfriend's bathroom, watching her try to tame her cloud of shoulder length red hair.

"I'll be ready when I'm ready." The redhead snapped, still desperately combing her hair into place. "Anyway, you're a complete hypocrite. How long did it take you to get ready and come here?"

Nico only crossed her arms and cracked a grin at the response as she watched her girlfriend smooth down her hair with a slim delicate hand. The raven noticed her nails which were clipped to an even length on each hand and smoothed over with a light purple nail polish. She had put a lot of effort into that. When was the last time she had done her nails? Probably the last time she had been over at Hanayo's house and the brunette had pleaded to do the redhead's nails. Hanayo always seemed to bring out the sweeter side of Maki.

Nico started suddenly as Maki brushed past her, exiting the bathroom. She hadn't quite managed to fix her hair into her usual style that she wanted, but Nico thought she looked cute anyway.

The two of them had been dating for a while now, so it wasn't like Nico would break up with Maki over messy hair. It was actually nice to not see the prim and proper Maki. Why did the redhead even bother with her hair? Nico thought she looked pretty all the time, even if she would never really say it aloud. No, she was too stubborn for that.

They weren't the type of couple that would spend every moment of their free time kissing or touching each other. They didn't even hold hands. Though Nico couldn't deny that she would like to. It was Maki that didn't seem to want to. And Nico didn't really mind, as she would wait for when Maki was ready.

"Are you coming?" The redhead demanded, glancing back as she made her way down the stairs. "You're so slow, idiot."

"Hey!" Nico pouted as she followed Maki downstairs, but she smiled a little as Maki called her mother who was in the kitchen and announced they were leaving. Mrs Nishikino waved them off and closed the door behind her, leaving the couple alone.

The outside world was wonderful; bright and sunny. The lemon yellow sun shine down on the two as they walked, warm light chasing away the grey clouds that were leftover from yesterday. The sky was the lightest of all blues, white clouds bouncing on the horizon. It was warm, with no breeze or even a slight hint of rain. The new dark green leaves and cherry blossom on the trees were still and silent, casting shade on the couple.

Maki wore a new outfit. Knee length light purple shorts to match her nails and a white blouse with white sandals. This was the first day of spring and most people around them were wearing shorts as well. Nico wore red ones that stopped a little above her knee and a plain white shirt with red flats. She looked a little less neat than Maki though. She noticed that her girlfriend had applied a little bit of mascara and eyeliner, though other than that, the redhead's face looked completely makeup free. Typical for Maki.

Their feet hit a steady beat on the concrete pavement below them as they walked close together, heading to the downtown local ice cream shop. Maki would get vanilla and Nico would get strawberry, same as always.

Nico couldn't stop herself from wondering what would happen if she so happened to reach down and take Maki's hand in her own. The raven knew very well that personal space was very important to her girlfriend. She did not like to be touched when she didn't want to be.

The pigtailed girl wondered how long this would last. After all, the two had been dating for a good five months now. Not that she was complaining. Secretly, the raven adored Maki. She was cute, beautiful and talented. Even though the redhead was a bit snappish with her, that was just part of her personality, and Nico couldn't really deny that she was a bit like that too. She didn't really give the redheaded girl an easy time; after all, it WAS Nico.

Nevertheless, Nico really liked Maki. She really did. And despite respecting her girlfriend's personal boundaries, the raven couldn't wait for the day where Maki would want to kiss and hold hands.

Though it seemed to be a long while off, in all honesty.

"Why are you so space today?" Maki asked as they sat down outside at the one of the tables outside the ice cream shop after receiving their orders. Nico had paid, seeing as it was her turn. Next time, Maki would pay unless the bill was outrageous in which they would both pay. This was how they agreed to do things. Why should only one pay for them both? Neither teen thought it was fair and worked out their own system.

"Just thinking." Nico replied, licking a small dribble of ice cream that had dripped on to her hand.

"Wow, that's a first." The redhead next t her replied back, focusing on her own come. Vanilla stained the corner of her mouth and Nico imagined reaching forward and wiping it away with her own napkin before Maki could. The raven's fantasies stayed the same.

"Ouch, you're venomous today Maki-chan." Nico said in a teasing tone. Maki ignored her girlfriend, rolling her violet eyes and crossing her legs under the table. Her foot in its white sandal momentarily brushed Nico's leg and the redhead blushed, quickly pulling it away. Nico lit up for a short moment.

"D-Don't be a baby!" Maki said shortly, the blush still on her face as she avoided ruby eyes.

"I am not!" Nico shot back. Maki rolled her eyes again as she tried to get rid of the blush on her cheeks. Maki didn't seem like the type to blush a lot, but she did and Nico found it rather cute. And the redhead would blush even more if Nico said it aloud, but the raven never had, even if she would like to.

Maki stood up and tossed her napkin into the nearest bin and waited for Nico to finish her own cone. As she stood up, the raven noticed that the tiny vanilla stain was gone now. Sighing softly, Nico put her napkin in the bin and followed her girlfriend out into the open air. The couple made their way down the street and into the town centre, where the fountains would be up and running by now. It wasn't the winter season anymore so the fountains wouldn't freeze up like they had done a few months ago.

People hung around the town square, eating or tossing coins into the fountains. Children splashed in the water with their sandalled feet as their parents watched with gentle smiles on their faces.

There was laughter and chatter in the air as Nico and Maki sat down on the edge of one of the numerous fountains around the square. Nico reached into her shorts' pocket and produced two coins; one for her and one for Maki.

Maki glared at the coin she was offered. "I am not five." She stated. Nico chuckled.

"I know that silly!" The raven smiled sweetly, shoving the coin further into Maki's face. "But don't you want to make a wish?" Maki stayed silent, not meeting Nico's eyes. The raven's smile widened as she put on her cutest face.

"Come on! You know you want to! You know you want to make a wish to stay forever with NicoNico!" Maki's face went the same colour as her hair at the last part.

"I-I don't want to make a wish, ok?!"

Maki was expecting a different reaction from Nico but all the raven did was shrug and throw her own coin into the fountain, making the water ripple. She squeezed her ruby eyes shut and made a wish.

I want to spend forever with Maki-chan... Even if she's like this, it's what I love about her, and I wouldn't change it...

Maki watched her girlfriend, wondering what she had wished for. The redhead looked down, noticing Nico had left her other coin next to her. Maki hesitantly reached forward and gently picked it up. She paused for a few moments before sighing softly, closing her eyes and throwing it into the fountain.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with Nico's smiling face. "W-What?"

"You made a wish!" Nico exclaimed. Maki crossed her arms.

"S-So what if I did? I j-just thought maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all..."

Nico came closer, excited interest written all over her features. "Well?! What did you wish for?!"

Maki shook her head. "I'm not supposed to tell you."

Nico pouted. "That's lame... I really wanted to know Maki-chan's wish..."

Maki sighed before speaking again. "What did you wish for then?" Nico brought a slim finger to her lips.

"I'm not supposed to tell you." She replied, mimicking Maki's voice slightly. Maki pouted a little, slightly irritated at the mimicking before loosening her expression.

"You're ridiculous." Maki stated a few moments later, aiming her words at Nico. The raven laughed cheerfully.

"Thanks! And you're not?" Maki didn't reply, but a small smile crossed her face. A few moments of silence passed between them both before Nico spoke up.

"It's nice out today." She commented.

"Are you seriously talking about the weather?" Maki asked with a tiny grin. "Since when did your conversation get so bad, Nico-chan?"

"It's not bad!" Nico pouted before winking in Maki's direction. "And you know you love my conversation anyway, Maki-chan."

The redhead mumbled something under her breath but Nico couldn't make it out. She smiled brightly at the redhead and giggled. Maki fiddled with her hair that she had spent ages trying to fix, twirling a strand around her finger like she always did.

"Let's go back to my house." She said suddenly. "We can go up on the balcony if you want." Maki's house was an extremely big mansion, even if there were only three people living in it. Nico always wished she had a home as big as Maki's, not just because it was where an official idol usually lived, but because it would be better for her family. Her mother always said that someday they would live somewhere bigger and better, but that had yet to happen.

"Why?" Nico asked. Usually, Maki had a reason for suggesting things.

"I just thought it would be nice... You know... Spend a little longer with each other..." The redhead looked away, blushing. "Besides, we should really be outside in this weather." Nico nodded with a blush on her cheeks too, agreeing with Maki.

The redhead stood up, and after a moment's hesitation, she offered Nico her hand. Nico stared at the hand in surprise, but wasted no time in grabbing it gently, scared that Maki might change her mind. The redhead's skin was soft and warm, their hands roughly around the same size.

"Come on then." Maki said, her face red but her eyes shining with relief. She didn't know what she would have done if Nico hadn't taken her hand. It would have been so awkward and embarrassing. But she could tell that Nico had been wanting to do it for a long time.

"Let's go!" Nico exclaimed with excitement.

The two of them set into a steady pace, their feet echoing each others'. Right foot, left foot. Though Nico's had more of a skip in it, she calmed it a little to keep pace with Maki so she wasn't dragging the redhead along behind her.

The raven smiled at the redhead and looked down at their joined hands. Her eyes softened again and her heart sped up. Images flew into her mind of the future.

Nico shook her head slightly. There she went again, pondering the future. For now, the present was enough. In fact, the present was perfect.

Maki looked over at Nico, finding that the raven was smiling gently at her and their joined hands though appearing to be in some sort of happy daydream at the same time. The redhead smiled as she looked up at the clear sky, tightening her grip on Nico's hand slightly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to hold hands with Nico or anything. The problem was that Maki was too scared to and she didn't know how to go about bringing it up. She didn't want to be too surprising that it put Nico off, but she didn't want to be cold either.

A calm breeze shook the cherry blossom trees gently, making the scenery fairy tale like. The couple made their way through the display, both of them smiling and holding hands like they had both longed to.

I guess... I wish to gather the courage to do the things that Nico-chan wants to do but I'm too stubborn and scared to, like hold hands. I... I also wish to spend the future with her... If she'll allow me to...


	8. KotorixUmi

A/N: Hi, this is a very quick update from me! Ideas have just been coming to me all the time since I'm on holiday and I have more time on my hands, allowing me to write and update quicker than usual!

This is something a little different from what I usually have in mind, but I wanted to try it out. I think I kept the characters in character but if not, apologies. I find it harder to write for Umi and Kotori and the couple KotoUmi.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

HonoEli (Next)

NozoMaki

NozoEli

UmiMaki

HonoMaki

KotoNico

UmiRin

EliMaki

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

NicoEli

Enjoy! XD

...

Title: Little Sunshine

Rating: K+

Pairing: KotoUmi

...

When it was just barely seven o'clock in the morning, Kotori woke up due to the light nudges against her arm. At first she thought it was Umi, but then again, she could feel the bluenette's back pressed up against hers. So since it wasn't her wife, that meant it had to be their daughter, and upon opening her eyes, their daughter it was indeed.

"Mommy! Wake up!" The four year old whispered as the taupe woman hummed, blinking to try and get the sleep out of her eyes.

"Baby, it's not even eight o'clock yet..." Kotori whined softly, moving around in the comfortable bed but not enough to wake up her wife beside her. "Why are you awake so early, eh?"

"Come on! I'll explain later!" The little one cried-whispered whilst tugging on Kotori's pyjama sleeve. "Come on, I need your help, Mommy!"

"Go back to sleep, Hinako-chan. Your mommy is sleeping and I want to sleep more too. Come here, you can sleep with us too." The taupe woman offered as she reached out an arm towards her daughter, but Hinako only stepped backwards and shook her head in rejection.

"Come on, Mommy! I need your help with something!"

"What is it? Can't it wait a little longer, sweetie?" Kotori asked, to which Hinako shook her head and grasped her mother's hand before tugging it.

"Get up! But don't wake Mommy!" The four year old whispered, using all her strength to get Kotori out of bed. She was actually quite strong for a four year old. Kotori pouted as she let her amber eyed daughter pull her out of bed.

The taupe woman stumbled as Hinako dragged her out of the room, down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes of sleep with her free hand and flicked on the lights. Kotori squinted and tried to adjust to the sudden bright light as she noticed her daughter standing on her small green stool that they had bought for her small self. The child was holding her you cookery set and was wearing the apron that Umi had bought her a few weeks ago so that she could teach Hinako to cook.

"Mommy, come on! I need your help with cooking!"

Kotori sighed, as another yawn escaped her. "Sweetie, why are you trying to cook?" The taupe woman walked over to her navy haired daughter who sighed at her question.

"Mommy, did you forget?"

"Forget what, Hinako-chan?"

"It's Mother's Day!" Hinako said, making Kotori freeze and stare at her daughter with surprise and fear.

The taupe woman was still and silent for a good few moments before she turned around and rushed over to the wall near the fridge where the calendar was pinned up. She squinted and stared at the day and found the words 'Mother's Day' written in red on today's date.

Kotori felt her blood run cold as she realised the date and that it was Mother's Day. How could I have forgotten?! She screamed mentally.

Every year when it was Mother's Day, Kotori and Umi (seeing as they were both mothers) took it in turns to be pampered by the other and their child. This year, it was Umi's turn. Which made forgetting worse.

Turning around to Hinako who was now standing by her side, Kotori let out a nervous laugh. "Heh heh heh... I completely forgot it was Mother's Day today..."

"It's ok, Mommy! Now you know!" Hinako smiled brightly, a smile that mirrored Kotori's own. The little girl grabbed Kotori's warm hand in her small one and gently tugged it. "I wanna make breakfast for Mommy!" She announced suddenly, finally giving Kotori a reason for why she was out of bed so early this morning. "So help me, Mommy! Please? I'm sure Mommy will like it!"

Kotori's mood picked up at her daughter's idea and wrapped the girl in a warm hug. "Aw that's so thoughtful, Hinako-chan! And I'm sure Umi-chan will really appreciate it!"

Hinako nodded eagerly in delight and Kotori chuckled before kissing her daughter on the forehead. Hinako giggled cutely at the action and Kotori stood up, rolling up her pyjama sleeves.

"Let's start then. I'm sure we can make some nice things for Umi-chan before she wakes up." Kotori smiled, though inside she was kind of freaking out. She wasn't all that good at cooking, only at desserts and some dishes. She appeared like the type to be good at cooking, but she wasn't really. She was actually very clumsy in the kitchen and would forget most things. Which was why the cooking was usually left to Umi.

"So, what do you want to make Umi-chan, Hinako-chan?" The taupe woman asked. The child placed a finger on her chin, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Eggs! No, bacon! Pancakes! Wait, no, waffles!" Hinako hopped up and down with excitement, her amber orbs glowing with glee as Kototi bent down to pick her up.

"Heh heh, it looks like you've got the same appetite as Honoka-chan." The taupe woman chuckles as Hinako perked up at the sound of her aunt's name. Then her head tilted to the side in a confused manor.

"'What's ap-pet-tile?" Hinako asked, trying to pronounce the word, making Kotori laugh softly and kiss her cheek.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Now, let's start!"

"Hurray!"

...

By the time it was about eight thirty, Umi woke up to the smell of food and something burning. She looked around and noticed Kotori wasn't in bed with her, and she couldn't hear Hinako down the hall either. So fearing the worst, the bluenette shot up out of bed and ran down the hall, down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed the fire extinguisher just by the kitchen door, ready to use it but by the time she got there, it was just a bunch of grey smoke.

The first thing she saw was her wife running around frantically, opening windows and her daughter standing to the side with a cloth covering her mouth and nose.

The second thing she saw was the plate of burnt food on the counter, and the last thing she saw was the bacon that looked more like coal stuck to the pan's surface.

Umi stared in shock, unsure of what to say as she watched her wife and daughter run around the kitchen trying to clean up their mess. She could see Kotori's lips moving as if she was mumbling something under her breath but Umi couldn't make it out.

The two continued cleaning, not even noticing that Umi was there watching them. By the time they noticed that their favourite bluenette was standing in the doorway, the mess was cleaned up.

"Mommy!"

"Umi-chan!"

"Good morning, darling." Umi cooed as she bent down to pick up Hinako who gladly jumped into her arms. The bluenette looked up at Kotori who sheepishly smiled as she stood by the stove wearing Umi's frilly blue apron.

"Good morning, Kotori. What the hell is going on? I thought the house was on fire!" The bluenette rolled her eyes as she placed Hinako on her hip and made over to her wife. She gave the taupe woman a chaste kiss on the lips and Kotori returned it. Hinako turned away.

"Don't kiss in front of me! Gross!" Both women laughed.

"Sorry sweetie," Kotori said with a small smile as Umi chuckled.

"So..." Umi looked around the kitchen where some smoke still lingered. "Were you two trying to make breakfast?"

Hinako blinked then her eyes lit up as she wrapped her arms around Umi from her position on her hip. "Oh yeah, Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"

Umi blinked then smiled. "Thanks, Hinako."

"Yeah, Happy Mother's Day, Umi-chan. Hinako-chan wanted to make you breakfast in bed and she asked for my help and you know I'm not so good at cooking, so yeah... We sort of failed and now you're up and I guess it kind of backfired? Heh heh..." Kotori rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

Umi rolled her eyes at her wife's explanation. "That's something Honoka would come up with, Kotori." The taupe woman smiled sheepishly, making Umi pity her and the bluenette moved forward to give her a one-armed hug. "But seriously, you didn't need to do this for me."

Hinako suddenly wriggled around on Umi's hip, interrupting their hug. The two women looked down at her, surprised. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"What is it?" Umi asked the wriggling child.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Hinako said as she threw her limbs about, making Umi put her down before she accidentally dropped her. And when she did, Hinako grabbed the bluenette's hand and gestured towards the kitchen door. "Go back to bed!"

"Back to bed? But Hinako, I just woke up-"

"I don't care! Go back to bed right now, Mommy!" The child ordered as Umi looked at Kotori who simply shrugged.

"Mommy!"

"Ok, ok, I'm going!" Umi chuckled as she was forcefully shoved out of the kitchen by her four year old daughter. When Hinako was done and Umi was out of sight, the child ran back to Kotori, tugging on her apron.

"Mommy, come on! Now!"

"What are you trying to do, Hinako-chan?"

"Breakfast in bed!" The four year old replied, making the taupe woman's heart melt.

"But now?" She asked, to which Hinako nodded and climbed back on her stool, trying to grab the plate of food. Kotori, who grabbed the plate before it could fall, took the plate from Hinako.

"Ok, I see what you're trying to do. Here, you pick the ones that look nice whilst I grab the others, ok?"

"Ok!" Hinako said cheerfully as she looked to the plate to see what food looked edible for Umi.

While she was on that, Kotori grabbed a tray from one of the cupboards and placed a cup of orange juice and utensils on it. She then picked up the large tulip that she and Hinako had picked that morning and put it on the tray. Tulips were Umi's favourite flowers after all. Then Kotori placed the plate of actually edible looking food on the tray.

"All right! Good job, Hinako-chan! Let's go serve Mommy breakfast in bed!" Kotori walked out of the kitchen, the tray held tightly in her hands and Hinako only a few steps behind her.

Walking slowly and carefully, Kotori walked to her and Umi's room and Hinako held open the door for her. Going inside, Kotori noticed that Umi was seated comfortably as if she expected them to come and approach her, her bright amber eyes following her two favourite people.

Hinako was the first to hug her as she dodged around Kotori and jumped on to the bed next to Umi and wrapped her arms around her. Umi only smiled and held her protectively, looking at her wife who laid the tray right in front of her.

"Happy Mother's Day, Umi-chan!" Kotori said once more, making the bluenette smile.

"Thank you, Kotori."

"Happy Mother's Day, Mommy! We both got up early to make you breakfast! We hope you like it!" Hinako grinned adorably, making Umi kiss her on the forehead.

"Thank you, honey. I'm sure it's delicious." Umi said, making Hinako squeal in delight as the bluenette reached for the fork on the tray to take a bite of the well scrambled eggs.

The bluenette gasped as she gave Hinako a smile. "It's delicious, Hinako!" The four year old lit up instantly.

"Did you hear that, Mommy! She likes my food!" Hinako cried in pure excitement as she hopped off the bed to go over to her other mother who easily took her in her arms. The taupe woman climbed on to the bed next to Umi and smiled.

"Yeah, Hinako-chan woke me up around seven o'clock, begging me to cook with her for you."

"That's very sweet of you. Thank you so much, Hinako, Kotori."

Hinako blushed as she leaned back in Kotori's comfortable arms. Kotori and Umi laughed at their daughter as they enjoyed their morning like the lovely family they were.


	9. HonokaxEli

A/N: Yay, another update! And it's HonoEli, one of my favorite pairings of Love Live! This oneshot is the longest yet and I'm so happy about it!

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoMaki

NozoEli

UmiMaki

HonoMaki

KotoNico

UmiRin

NicoEli

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

Enjoy! XD

...

Title: A Good Idea..?

Pairing: HonoEli

Rating: K+

In which Honoka is an adorable stuttering and blushing mess.

...

Honoka Kousaka was thinking. This often meant problems would arise for anyone in her general vicinity. Her thoughts typically revolved around craziness, experimenting and schemes for future pranks to do on her two best friends, younger sister and the rest of Muse, because everyone knew that they could always expect a reaction from them.

Sometimes, her thoughts focused on her favourite music artist, who she had been waiting on for a while. Her next album was a touchy subject as no one knew when it was going to be released, though the artist kept promising she was going to release one soon. Then again, she had waited three years. What was another three? Though Honoka didn't have much patience, especially when it came to things that really mattered to her.

But more and more often, her thoughts had been circulating one girl in particular in Muse. She was older, incredibly smart and sweet as honey. Not to mention popular. It just wasn't fair that someone could be that perfect. Honoka was surprisingly nothing less than jealous. But now she understand why; she wanted the girl to herself. She didn't want to be her, as she had first thought at first. Without a doubt, she wanted to be with her. How selfish was that?

Eli Ayase. You couldn't even say the name in school anymore without someone jumping in. If you insulted her, you had about a thousand glares sent your way of anger and annoyance. Eli was nice and she got along well with everyone after joining Muse. Honoka had no idea how she put up with people that were constantly glued to her sides, following her around like lost puppies. But nevertheless, Eli was friends with those people and that alone made Honoka's head spin.

Eli's entire existence made her head spin. She had high grades (not the highest, but still pretty high) but managed to spend an amazing amount of time helping out the school. Oh yeah, this girl was also the School Council President above everything else. She liked to help the clubs with their problems, whether it be internal strife or funding problems, even though she was in one herself.

The second Eli joined Muse, Honoka knew she had made the right decision to ask Eli to join. The girl already looked like an idol, with her beauty, flexibility and maturity and Honoka was awed that someone could be like that.

So. Not only was Eli amazing in school and out, had tons of friends (and people in general) that adored her, was a School Idol but spent her spare time solving people's problems. Just why did Honoka have to crush on someone so perfect?

It didn't help that many others also had their eye on the blonde. Honoka couldn't remember nor count how many love letters Eli had received in the last five months alone; she got them all the time. The ginger couldn't name a lot of them, but she was sure that her fellow Muse member Nozomi Tojo was interested in Eli. After all, they were best friends and surely it didn't take that much to charm the purple haired girl.

But there was that slight hope that Nozomi wasn't interested and would happily step aside for Honoka to make a move. If that was the case, then maybe she had a chance...?

Listen to her! Thinking that she had any sort of chance! She really didn't. Eli could easily have her pick of anyone, and surely she wouldn't even think of choosing Honoka. But it was a nice idea.

Nevertheless, Honoka tried her best. She walked down the hall and greeted the blonde without any hint of embarrassment, and mentally let go a sigh of relief. Eli greeted her back and asked if she wanted to walk to practice on the roof together to which Honoka happily replied yes.

Once they were up on the rooftop, Eli went over to Umi, wanting to discuss the new lyrics the bluenette had come up a few days ago. Honoka watched, sighing. Her sighing attracted a certain Muse member and she looked up to meet Nozomi's eyes.

"Hello, Honoka-chan."

"Ah, Nozomi-chan!" The ginger smiled kindly, erasing the sigh's presence. The purple haired girl sensed something was up though.

"Say, Honoka-chan, want to come buy drinks for everyone with me?" Nozomi asked. Honoka nodded.

"Sure!" The two headed for the door that led downstairs. Honoka glanced behind as she was about to close the door and looked at Eli who was laughing politely at Rin's jokes. It made Honoka sigh again. Nozomi glanced behind her at the sad ginger with a knowing look.

Once they were at the vending machine, Nozomi decided to break the ice.

"Honoka-chan,"

The ginger looked up from the keypad on the machine. "Yeah, Nozomi-chan?"

The purple haired girl looked into the ginger's eyes. "Are you in love with Elicchi?"

It took a few moments for Nozomi's words to process in Honoka's mind, and when they did, her face turned five shades of red.

"N-Nozomi-chan! D-Don't say things like that!"

"But you didn't exactly answer my question. Does that mean you are?"

"N-No!" Honoka denied, turning away from Nozomi and focusing on the keypad again. But her fingers didn't move. They stayed frozen in place a few inches away from the numbers and letters.

Nozomi watched the ginger and took in her slightly trembling fingers and lips. She blinked softly as she stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Honoka's shoulder.

"Honoka-chan-"

"So what if I am?" Honoka's voice echoed in the hall, though luckily no one was around to hear. "It's not as if I could help it. It's just..." The ginger sighed. "It's so hard, what with everyone liking her so much. Someone like Eli-chan... I don't have a chance, do I?"

Nozomi took in the ginger's words and realized that Honoka was in love with Eli. So much that she was beating herself up about it and didn't want to make a move out of fear. It was so unlike Honoka, but it warned Nozomi's heart to see Honoka care so much about Eli. The purple haired girl tightened her grip on Honoka's shoulder and shook her head with a smile on her face.

"Oh, Honoka-chan..." Honoka looked up, surprised at Nozomi's tone. Nozomi smiled brightly. "How will you let Elicchi know if you don't say anything?"

Honoka stared at Nozomi. "Nozomi-chan, didn't you listen to what I said?"

"I did. And it sounds like you're afraid of competition." Nozomi removed her hand from Honoka's shoulder and crossed her arms. "Who cares if a few girls want Elicchi's affection? Fight for it, Honoka-chan!" The purple haired girl smiled. "And you never know, things could just go your way."

Honoka didn't know what to say. Nozomi was giving her advice? So, did that mean that Nozomi WASN'T interested in Eli? Guess it did.

"Nozomi-chan... Thanks." Honoka smiled. The purple haired girl smiled.

"I just want you to be happy, Honoka-chan. What good is it if you mope about with a gloomy expression all the time? That's not you. You deserve to be happy. Do your best!"

Honoka moved away from the machine and wrapped her around around Nozomi. "You're the best, Nozomi-chan!" Nozomi giggled.

"Now, now, let's not get carried away. The others will wonder what's taking us so long!"

"Oh right, the drinks!" Honoka exclaimed, going back to the keypad. After they had collected the drinks, they started making their way back upstairs to the roof.

"Right, Honoka-chan. We have a lot to plan!"

"Plan?"

"Yes! You're going to tell Elicchi, aren't you?"

"Eh?! Now?!"

"Maybe not right now. But..." Nozomi's eyes twinkled as a sudden idea hit her. "But maybe later this week..." Honoka gulped.

...

She'd come to the conclusion that she was pretty much screwed. Honoka groaned. Part of her was glad that Nozomi was as meddling as she was, but another part hated her for it. She thought back to what had happened a few days.

She had returned to Muse practice with Nozomi with drinks for everyone. As soon as she had finished handing out the ones had, Nozomi had passed her another bottle of water for Eli as the blonde didn't have one yet.

"Give her this, then ask her out!" Honoka had stared at her for ages, thinking that the purple haired girl had lost her mind. And that's exactly what she had said.

"Have you lost your mind, Nozomi-chan?!" Honoka had whisper yelled. Nozomi had chuckled as she took a hold of the ginger's shoulders and pushed her in Eli's direction.

"Come on! You're never shy! And it's Elicchi! Give it a try!" Nozomi had said. "Good luck!" She had given Honoka a final push and the ginger had stumbled over to Eli. The blonde had caught her just in time, and Honoka's face had gone bright red.

"Ahh! S-Sorry, Eli-chan!" Honoka had spluttered as she frantically searched her brain for words. But her mind had abandoned her, leaving her to fend for herself. "U-Um..." The ginger had looked down at her hands and spotted the water bottle. She had held it up high in front of Eli's face. "Water! Yeah, I brought you water!" I'm screwed... She had thought.

Eli had looked at her before she had started giggling, cutely. She had accepted the water bottle, still giggling. Honoka had bit her lip. I knew this would go horrible... And I haven't even asked the question yet..!

"Cute."

"Huh?!" Honoka had stared at Eli in shock. The blonde had smiled at her warmly, making Honoka's heart flutter. Eli didn't repeat her words, but Honoka had heard, and it had given her hope.

Come on, you can do it Honoka! Just like Nozomi-chan said; you're not shy! Come on!

The ginger had gulped as she had opened her mouth to speak. "E-Eli-chan...?"

"Yes?" The blonde had asked as unscrewed her water bottle cap. Honoka had licked her dry lips.

"W-Would you..." She had glanced behind her briefly, and had seen Nozomi standing with the other girls, giving her a large smile and a thumbs up. Honoka paled. She turned back to Eli.

"W-Would you..."

"Are you all right, Honoka? You're stuttering." Eli had asked in a concerned tone. Honoka had nodded slowly, still trying to form words to ask the question she longed to.

Come on...!

"Eli-chan!" Honoka had exclaimed, making the blonde stare at her in surprise. "Would you like to do something with me later this week?"

A few moments passed and Honoka knew she had failed. Oh well... At least I tried... She had thought. She had turned to walk away, but Eli stopped her. The blonde had smiled at her cheerfully.

"Sure!" Honoka had stared at her in shock before she had let a smile cross her face and had sighed in relief.

"O-Ok!"

And hence Honoka was screwed. She had met up with Nozomi after practice and given her an uncharacteristic earful, then thanked her. After all, the purple haired girl did start her off. They had parted ways and Honoka had walked home and ran herself a bath.

And then all the problems and questions arose. What would Eli want to do on a date? Could she even call it a date? What if Eli rejected her? Wait, was she even planning to confess any time soon? The ginger spent ages in the bath, trying to figure it out. The water was cold by the time her younger sister Yukiho banged on the door, telling her to get out.

Honoka really didn't know what Eli would like to do on a date. She really didn't. Which was probably why when she ran into the older girl the next day, she offered up the worst idea ever. The scene would probably forever be seared in her mind in video form, replaying again and again though Honoka couldn't help but take it as an accomplishment that she had offered the idea without stuttering this time. Surely that counted for something...right?

So now, on Friday, the ginger leader of Muse stood by the school gates waiting for Eli to come out so they could go on their 'date'. The blonde had surprisingly liked Honoka's insane idea of going over to her house to marathon Disney movies. Honoka hadn't meant to let such a childish plan slip into reality; after all, Eli was older and more mature so surely she wouldn't want to watch children's movies. The ginger would never have thought Eli would enjoy much movies in general, let alone Disney. Honoka loved Disney movies; she watched them all the time, especially when Umi and Kotori stayed over.

It wasn't really a secret; everyone that knew her knew about it, but Honoka suspected that it was rather childish. She was just glad Eli hadn't laughed at her. In fact, the blonde seemed rather delighted at the idea of watching Disney. The ginger just hoped everything would go all right like Nozomi said it would.

Eli arrived a few minutes after the final bell with Nozomi. The two walked over to Honoka, and Nozomi walked in the other direction, waving to them. But not before she whispered a few things in Honoka's ear.

"Be calm, Honoka-chan. You can do it. And I'll be expecting full details later!" And with that, the purple haired girl walked out of their sight, leaving Honoka and Eli alone. Honoka's heart was pounding. She was going to spend the evening watching Disney movies and eating snacks with Eli, the most beautiful girl in the world.

Wow. She could just not believe it.

"I'm sorry I'm a little bit late. I had to fix some documents for the Student Council. Were you waiting long?" Eli asked. Honoka shook her head, her cheeks a little pink.

"No, not at all!" She replied cheerfully, without a single stammer. Eli nodded in relief. A few moments passed between the two before Eli spoke.

"Well come on then. You're going to have to show me the way. I have no idea where your house is, silly."

"Oh yeah," Honoka blushed again as Eli's hand brushed hers lightly. It was only the briefest touch known to man, but it still sent jolts of electricity up the ginger's arm.

"So, what movie were you thinking of putting on first?" Eli asked the younger girl. Honoka put a finger on her chin in thought.

"Well...um..." She had planned to ask Eli first to see what she preferred.

"Which one's your favourite?" Eli asked, sensing Honoka's hesitation and deciding to comfort her with an easier question.

"I like the Fox and the Hound the best." Honoka replied. Finally, a question she knew the answer to. "What about you, Eli-chan?"

Eli smiled fondly, thinking back to the movies of her childhood. "Cinderella is my favourite, but I think I have a few favourites."

"Oh! I love that one! I think we own it!" Honoka could totally picture Eli as Cinderella, in a beautiful ball gown wearing glass slippers. It fitted the blonde so perfectly. The ginger mentally skimmed through her DVD collection to think what movies she had at home. There were actually quite a lot.

"How about we take a look when we get to your house, Honoka?" Eli suggested, as if she could read her mind. Honoka accepted.

They arrived at Honoka's house ten minutes later. Eli smiled brightly.

"Ah! So your house is the local sweet shop? I've passed it a few times, but I've never bought sweets from it before." The blonde followed Honoka inside. "My little sister, Alisa, said that she'd like to try the sweets in here."

"Well, how about I give you a box to take home with you?" Honoka offered with a smile.

"You'd do that?" Eli smiled. Honoka nodded. "Thanks, Honoka."

"No problem. I'll give you them later though. Let's get started."

Honoka let Eli drop off her bag and stuff in her room then they went downstairs to the living room. The ginger had attempted to clean it by herself the day before and keep it clean, but Yukiho had left her cereal bowl on the coffee table in front of the sofa that morning without her noticing at all.

Damn it, Yukiho, she cursed her sister as she tossed the bowl in the kitchen sink as Eli looked at the Disney movies Honoka had. There were about twenty in total, including the ones Kotori had let her borrow.

"How about the Lion King?" Eli called from the living room as Honoka brought through a tray of snacks. There were sweets from the shop, chocolate and pocky of all things.

"Are you thirsty?" Honoka asked kindly. "We have a few different things."

Eli smiled warmly. "I'm all right for now. Maybe after this movie."

"Ok!" Honoka replied, plopping down on the sofa. Eli joined her and Honoka slid the movie into the TV, turning down the lights before settling in with the blankets from the linen closet that she had got earlier. Eli curled into her and Honoka blushed, though she tried to cover it. She pressed play.

In all honesty, it had been too long since she had last seen the Lion King. She hadn't remembered it being so depressing. She actually had to hold in her tears when Mufasa died, though she could hear Eli sniffling beside her. Maybe they'd need some tissues before they started the next film.

"Eli-chan?" Honoka said when the film was over. "Are you ok?"

The blonde nodded whilst wiping her eyes. She had cried near the end of the film too when Simba was crowned King and had a child with Nala. Honoka hadn't known that Eli cried so much at Disney films, but somehow the blonde still looked pretty when she had tears running down her face.

Eli giggled as she wiped her nose, making Honoka's heart soar. "I'm fine. How about we take a break real quick? I've got to use the bathroom."

"Ok. It's, um, just upstairs on the left. The door should be open." The ginger told her as she stood up and stretched as Eli darted off quietly. They had already eaten most of the sweets and Eli had eaten most of the chocolate. They hadn't touched the pocky. Honoka had a feeling they'd both feel a little sick by the end of the night, and that her mother and Umi would give her into trouble for eating so much.

But that didn't matter to Honoka as she was with Eli.

The blonde came back and Honoka brought through glasses of water for them both. Though the ginger was more comfortable, she still blushed when Eli accepted the glass and thanked her.

"All right, what's next?" Eli asked as she slowly sipped her water. Honoka held up the one she had been thinking of suggesting.

"How about Treasure Planet?"

"Ooh, I haven't seen that one! Let's try it!" Eli exclaimed, her eyes filled with excitement. It was so cute.

By the time it was dark, they had finished four movies. Honoka's mother had offered to drop Eli off home so they were gathering her things.

"Thank you, Mrs Kousaka." Eli bowed in appreciation as she patiently waited by the door.

"No problem." The brunette replied then turned to her daughter. "Though it's rare to see Honoka with just one Muse member." Honoka opened her mouth to reply when Eli beat her to it.

"Well, today was special."

Honoka stared at the blonde in shock and Eli gave her a kind smile. Mrs Kousaka smiled knowingly and opened the front door. Then Honoka remembered something.

"Wait!" The ginger headed back to the kitchen where she returned with a box full of sweets from her shop. "Here, Eli-chan. I promised you after all."

Eli accepted the box with thanks and placed it in her bag with pink cheeks. Mrs Kousaka then shooed them out to the car where they climbed in the backseat together.

"Thanks for inviting me." Eli spoke first with a soft voice. Honoka blushed again in the dark. She was getting sick of doing that.

"S-Sure, Eli-chan!" Avoiding Eli's eyes, she didn't see the blonde smile at her adorable sudden shyness. At least, that's how Eli saw it.

They arrived at Eli's house far too soon and the blonde unbuckled her seatbelt to leave. Honoka watched in a daze, not wanting her to leave. She remembered what Nozomi said about confessing and her heart beat faster with nervousness.

"Thanks again for the ride!" Eli smiled as she turned and walked up the drive to her house. Mrs Kousaka turned around to her daughter.

"Go and say goodbye to her." She ordered and Honoka didn't even think twice about it before she unbuckled her seatbelt and sprinted up the drive after Eli. The blonde looked a little surprised at seeing the ginger follow her to her door.

"Um..." Honoka began awkwardly, twiddling her thumbs. Eli smiled.

"So.." Then she started giggling. "I'm sorry. I just had a lot of fun and I really want to do it again!"

"R-Really?!" Honoka exclaimed. Eli nodded.

"But tell me Honoka... Was this meant to be a date?" The ginger froze at the question. Well, it was basically a date. She gulped.

"Y-Yeah... Or at least, I wanted it to be because you see Eli-chan..." Honoka closed her eyes tightly with clenched fists. "I-I... I like you!"

The blonde didn't seem as surprised as Honoka thought she would be when she opened her eyes a few moments later. Eli didn't move and Honoka was scared she had done the wrong thing.

Then the blonde leaned down and unexpectedly kissed the ginger on the lips. Honoka froze then kissed back with all her strength. She had been wanting to do this for ages! They separated slowly, both with a heavy blush on their faces.

"I like you too." Eli giggled. "And I guess this calls for an excuse to marathon some more Disney movies some other time. My place next time?"

Honoka nodded, still in a daze. Eli liked her too?! This day couldn't get any better.

"Well, you should be going. Don't keep your mother waiting." Eli smiled and pecked Honoka's cheek lightly. "I'll be thinking about you." And with that, the blonde walked into her house and closed the door.

Honoka smiled stupidly to herself for a moment until her mother honked the car horn and she ran back to the car with a happy blush on her face.

That night she'd call up Nozomi and tell her the good news. The purple haired girl would laugh and suggest they make cupcakes together. Honoka would laugh and smile before hanging up and falling asleep with a joyful smile on her face.


	10. NozomixMaki

A/N: Ok, so I'm back everyone! Miss me? Eh, probably not. Well, today's pairing is NozoMaki, a very interesting one that I've shipped ever since their bonding when they were at Maki's summer house. Signbear suggested this pairing and AU and it was hard at first as I didn't know what to write. But then one night I suddenly got an idea of how to start and ended up finishing it in just one night. I'm proud of that XD

Also, thank you for your concern Enya Talisman in your review; I appreciate it very much. But I'm ok with all the pairing requests as I can just add it to the list and then I have something to do in my spare time XD

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoEli (Next)

UmiMaki

HonoMaki

KotoNico

UmiRin

NicoEli

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

NozoHono

Enjoy! XD

…

Title: She's A Mystery

Pairing: NozoMaki

Rating: K+

…

"Good morning, Father." Maki Nishikino addressed her father politely as she sat down at the table across from him. The brown haired male brought his gaze away from the large newspaper in his hand and directed it towards the redheaded girl.

"Good morning, poppet." He replied cheerily to his only daughter, a small pout forming on her lips at the nickname.

"Father… Do you really have to call me that?" Maki said, crossing her arms stubbornly with a blush on her cheeks.

Mr Nishikino chuckled lightly at the small blush that was now on his daughter's face. "Would you prefer it if I called you Lady Nishikino instead?" He asked with amusement in his voice.

Maki froze, uncrossing her arms quickly as a larger blush overtook her face. "Father!" Mr Nishikino laughed as Maki frowned at her father's cheery behaviour towards her. How could someone be so cheery in the morning? Well, someone apart from her maid Honoka who always found a reason to be cheerful. Sometimes it got on the redhead's nerves that her maid could always smile whilst she barely found a reason to. Her mother always commented that she should smile more, especially around guests that they had often, but Maki didn't want to.

Now, no normal girls had a maid and had guests so often and that was because Maki wasn't just a normal girl. She was the daughter of the Nishikino's, the richest family in the country, and was the heir to the Nishikino Hospital that her parents owned. And even though it sounded amazing, Maki didn't think it was so great. Decisions were often made for her and she never got to do many things on her own; her parents stated that was Honoka's job.

Maki wished she was normal, and even just a little taste of what it was like would make her happy.

Mr Nishikino stopped laughing, clearing his throat as he remembered what he wanted to discuss with his daughter. He knew she wouldn't like the idea, as she hadn't liked the idea of a maid, but he knew it was for the best.

"Maki," He said, watching as she looked up at him with surprised violet eyes. He took a deep breath then continued. "Maki, you know that since we own the hospital that we have a lot of money, right?"

"Well it shows, Father." Maki replied, looking around the glamorous room. Mr Nishikino nodded, laying the newspaper flat down on the table and lacing his fingers together.

"You also know that since we have a lot of money, we could be in trouble at any time, am I correct?" The brown haired male asked again, his brown eyes meeting Maki's violet. The redhead nodded slowly, still unsure where this was going. "Well… I'm worried for your safety, poppet. People that want our money could use you as bait to get it out of me and your mother and neither of us want that to ever happen."

Maki folded her arms across her chest, not really liking the breakfast topic at all. "What are you trying to say, Father?" She asked, frowning a little. She had a feeling she wouldn't like what else was to come either.

Mr Nishikino perked up a little bit, flashing a small smile. "I've hired you a bodyguard." He took in his daughter's reaction, watching as her eyes widened in shock.

"A bodyguard?! Father, I'm not sure that's a good idea!" Maki disliked the idea; she knew she was going to dislike it. A bodyguard?! What?! It would be bizarre to have a bodyguard with her. People would laugh at her, and say she was too weak to stand up for herself. Not everyone knew who she was, even if she was the daughter of the richest family in the country.

Mr Nishikino frowned slightly. "And why not? Your mother and I think it's a very good idea. We won't be as worried for your safety if we know there's someone to look after you when we're not at home. And this bodyguard seems very trustworthy and pleasant and is a female too to make you feel more comfortable." The man smiled, not noticing the growing frown on Maki's face.

"Can't I keep myself safe? I can stick up for myself! And if anything happens, I've always got Honoka with me!" The redhead protested. Mr Nishikino shook his head.

"Maki, Honoka isn't a bodyguard; she's a maid. She cooks, cleans and takes care of the house while we're gone. She isn't supposed to leave the house with you, though I'm letting last week slide." Maki paled; no one was supposed to know about last week when she and Honoka left the house together and went to the new bakery down the street. Mr Nishikino shook his head in disbelief, though true to his word he did let it slide, and continued. "I understand that she's your friend, and she's a lovely girl but she can't really protect you like a real bodyguard can."

Maki huffed and turned away, a deep frown on her features. "You don't think I can protect myself…! I don't need a bodyguard, and I don't want one!"

"Of course I think you can protect yourself, poppet! You're one of the bravest people I know! I just don't want to see you get hurt…" Maki took a glance at her father, taking in his sad expression and she felt guilty all of a sudden. She sighed mentally; maybe she could give it a try…

"Father," Mr Nishikino looked up at Maki and the redhead sighed for real this time. I'm going to regret this… "M-Maybe I'll try having a bodyguard…" Mr Nishikino perked up and smiled brightly.

"That's the spirit, poppet!"

"D-Don't call me that! And just because I said I'll give it a try, it still doesn't mean that I need one!" Mr Nishikino just chuckled.

"You'll meet her tomorrow. Her name is Nozomi Tojo."

…

"Honoka, you are not going to believe this…" Maki groaned as she leaned against the banister the maid was currently cleaning. The ginger girl turned her head to look at the redhead, a small gasp leaving her lips.

"I'm not fired, am I?!" Honoka bit her lip and Maki felt bad for her. The ginger girl was always fearing for her job, afraid that the littlest thing that she did wrong would result in her losing her job and she couldn't afford that. She came to the Nishikino's a few years ago looking for work to go towards helping her family who could barely pay their rent and afford things such as food and the Nishikino's gladly took her in after hearing her story and she had been working there ever since. They had no intention of firing her, but the ginger still worried.

"Honoka! You're not going to be fired!" Maki sighed. Honoka was a lovely person; cheerful and smiley and she was a good listener when it came to Maki. The two were really good friends, even if Honoka was the maid and they had gotten past the shy and formal stage ages ago.

"So… What is it?" The ginger continued to polish the banister. Maki sighed again, moving a little so Honoka could reach behind her and polish the rest of the banister.

"Father's hired me a female bodyguard." Maki replied half-heartedly, still not liking the news. Honoka's head shot up and she dropped her rag and spray bottle, her sapphire eyes wide.

"Are you kidding me?!" The ginger said, watching Maki's shoulders slump. The redhead hadn't imagined how Honoka would react, but what came next was unexpected. "That's so cool, Maki-chan!" Maki turned to her friend with a scrunched up expression.

"What's so cool about it, Honoka?" The redhead muttered, crossing her arms. Honoka rolled her eyes, used to Maki's words and behaviour by now. Then her eyes brightened.

"You're so lucky, Maki-chan!"

"Eh?! How am I lucky?" Maki paused. "Apart from the obvious." Honoka smiled.

"To get a bodyguard!" Maki's nose wrinkled up.

"What's so good about a stupid bodyguard?" Honoka bent down to pick up her rag and spray bottle and when she came back up again, her smile was wider.

"Because isn't it a new friend?"

Honoka's words shocked Maki. She hadn't thought of it that way at all, and now that she thought about it, maybe Honoka was right. Maki bit her lip as she looked at the smiling ginger.

She knew that she was selfish for saying things like that all the time in front of Honoka when she knew of what Honoka had lost and how little she had left when she lived in a large mansion with so many expensive things that were impossible for Honoka to get. It made her feel guilty, but she didn't really know how to apologize. Maki was never the type to apologize or show her true feelings in front of others, though she did open up more to Honoka as she trusted the ginger, maybe even more than her parents never mind that Honoka was the maid and used to be a stranger to them all.

"Maki-chan, are you ok?" Honoka approached the redhead and tapped her shoulder gently. "Maki-chan~" Maki snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. Honoka only smiled kindly.

"Trapped in your thoughts again, Maki-chan?" The ginger polished the last of the banister with a laugh. "Wish I had your problem." Maki couldn't help but smile at the maid's kind attempts to cheer her up and she placed a hand on the ginger's shoulder, making her turn round.

"Eh? Maki-chan…"

"Honoka… Thanks for everything you've done for me." Honoka grinned, before throwing her stuff down and hugging the redhead.

"No problem, Maki-chan!"

Hugs were nothing new between Honoka and Maki. Maki had been confused and embarrassed the first time Honoka hugged her, but she liked it and accepted every hug from then on. It was odd and considered wrong for a maid to hug their employers and their relatives but things were different for the Nishikino's. They wanted to help Honoka and considered her part of the family.

The two girls broke apart and moved further down the hall as Honoka continued her job. "So why has your father hired you a bodyguard? Apart from the obvious." Honoka asked, quoting Maki. Maki groaned.

"It seems I'm in need of protecting." The redhead crossed her arms. "My parents think that people will kidnap me to get to our money."

"Aw, your parents are so sweet!" Honoka smiled. "And besides Maki-chan, doesn't the bodyguard mean that your parents care about you and worry for your safety?" Maki nodded.

"I guess so…" Honoka nodded firmly.

"Then give it a try! I take it she'll arrive tomorrow?" Maki nodded.

"Around noon."

"Ooh! What's her name?!"

"I think Father said her name was… Nozomi Tojo…"

…

The next day, just before noon, the Nishikino family including Honoka were gathered in the living room waiting for Nozomi Tojo's arrival. Maki leaned back into the sofa, biting her lip. Even though she tried not to show it, she was actually kind of nervous. What would this Nozomi Tojo be like? Nice? Strict? Over protective all the time? The name didn't provide much of a description and her parents wouldn't give her any details.

Honoka sat next to her on the sofa, unsure of whether she should actually be in the living room at the moment or not. She looked next to her to see her friend biting her lip anxiously and she grinned. So Maki was nervous.

Everyone sat in silence, though the Nishikino parents occasionally whispered to each other about something, probably the bodyguard. Then the doorbell rang, echoing through the entire house.

Mr Nishikino shot up off the sofa and left the room to answer the door, Mrs Nishikino following. Honoka turned to Maki who know had her arms crossed.

"Calm down, Maki-chan. I bet she's cool and likeable, much like yourself." Maki sighed at Honoka's compliment that was so like her at this sort of moment and she sank further into the sofa cushions. Then her ears pricked up at the sound of voices. Two of them familiar, but one of them unfamiliar and higher pitched.

A few moments later, the Nishikino parents entered the room with someone following behind them. Maki sat up to get a closer look and she gasped a little as she came into sight, hearing Honoka gasp as well beside her.

"Maki, meet Nozomi Tojo."

The new arrival stepped forward and smiled warmly. "Hello, Miss Nishikino. I'm Nozomi Tojo, you're new bodyguard. It's nice to meet you." Maki looked her up and down, taking in the sight before her. Hair that resembled the colour of irises was tied into two long pigtails secured with cream ribbons that went well with her cream dress, turquoise eyes that glittered brightly and creamy skin that looked smooth to the touch. This girl was…beautiful.

"Hehehe…" Maki was broke from her thoughts when she heard giggling. At first she thought it was Honoka, but then she realized it was coming from Nozomi.

"What's so funny?" The redhead asked, though the second she did, she realized she had just made a rude first impression. Her parents were glaring at her for her rudeness but it didn't seem to affect Nozomi at all. In fact, the pigtailed girl just giggled again.

"You were staring at me. I was told you didn't seem to take well to the whole bodyguard business. But by the looks of it, you have taken an interest in it after all! You even have a little blush on your face…"

"N-No I didn't!" Maki protested, though now she could feel the heat on her face and it was increasing by the second. Nozomi chuckled.

"You're funny. I think I'll like being your bodyguard."

Maki huffed and leaned back into the sofa with a pout on her face. She didn't like this bodyguard at all! It didn't matter that she was the most beautiful person that Maki had ever seen in her life... Ok, she had to stop thinking things like that.

"Maki-chan~ You're staring at her again~" Honoka giggled, shooting Maki a small wink before she got up off the sofa and smiled at Nozomi.

"Hi! I'm Honoka Kousaka, the maid for the Nishikino family. Nice to meet you, Tojo-san!" Nozomi smiled back and took Honoka's hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Kousaka-san! But please, call me Nozomi." Honoka nodded.

"Then call me Honoka."

"Deal."

Maki watched the scene in front of her play out with a frown. Honoka had already taken a liking to Nozomi and it looked like the pigtailed girl liked Honoka as well. Maki wasn't sure about Nozomi at all. She was still hard to guess about; all that Maki knew was that she was perky and was surely trouble. The redhead just hoped that nothing bad would happen to Honoka. The ginger didn't know much about people and liked to make friends with everyone, whoever they were which could get her into trouble.

Nozomi didn't seem like the bodyguard type at all, so surely her parents had made a mistake in hiring her? The purple haired girl didn't seem like she could protect herself, let alone Maki. But strangely, she seemed to fit in well and she gave off a sense of warmth and happiness, much like Honoka did.

"How about you show Tojo-san around, Maki?" Mr Nishikino pulled the redhead back to reality and she shrugged in response. Nozomi smiled brightly, her turquoise eyes glittering with excitement.

"Oh, that would be great! And please, call me Nozomi."

"All right, Nozomi it is." Mr Nishikino nodded firmly before taking his wife's hand and they both started to head towards the door. "We'll be off to the hospital now. Nozomi, I'm counting on you."

"You can count on me, Mr Nishikino!" The girl gave a mock salute and the brown haired male laughed as he exited the house with his wife, waving as he went. Once they were gone, Nozomi turned to the two remaining people in the room. Honoka stood, not sure what to do and Maki didn't move at all from her position on the sofa.

"All right, so how about that tour?" Nozomi could sense tension for some reason and tried to break it apart a little bit. Honoka seemed to like the idea and tapped Maki's shoulder.

"Maki-chan, are you coming?" The ginger asked. Maki looked up at the maid and took in the pleading eyes and sighed.

"I guess so." Honoka smiled and grabbed the redhead's hand, pulling her up off the sofa.

"Then let's go!"

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Come on, Maki-chan!"

"Honoka!"

Nozomi laughed at the display, gaining their attention. "You two are very close, aren't you?" Honoka nodded determinedly whilst Maki couldn't stop herself from smiling at that. Nozomi nodded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a single card with a blue back. "Ah, a friend in need. Things will surely turn around for you both soon apparently, and you'll both like what's to come. At least, that's what the cards say." Nozomi grinned, slipping the card into her pocket again. Honoka and Maki watched her, both with shocked expressions.

"So... Let's get started on this tour then!" Honoka nodded, completely forgetting about what just happened, and she led the way up the stairs, deciding to do upstairs first. Nozomi followed the ginger, winking at Maki who was still staring at her as she left the room. As soon as she was gone, Maki snapped out of her trance and looked at the open door.

What was that…? Cards? Is she some sort of fortune teller? I thought she was a bodyguard…? Still confused, Maki exited the room and stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up to see Nozomi still following Honoka who was rambling and pointing things out. The pigtailed girl laughed occasionally and Maki felt strange emotions inside of her that she'd never felt before. What the hell…?

The redhead breathed deeply, waiting for Nozomi and Honoka to disappear out of sight, before starting up the stairs after her friend and new bodyguard. She's a mystery… A mystery that I intend to find out.

…

Ok, sorry for the crappy ending but I didn't really know how to finish it off. I knew that I wanted it to end sometime after Maki met Nozomi so that I could maybe do a continuation if someone requests the pairing again…? Also, sorry for the lack of NozoMaki as it actually seems like more of a HonoMaki friendship. But I hope I did ok and people actually like it!

Review below if you would like a continuation of this, or to voice your thoughts or to request another pairing! Thanks!


	11. NozomixEli

A/N: Hi everyone, I'm back! It's been a while since I've updated this and I just remembered about it this morning when I collected my extra login bonus on SIF. I'd already finished the oneshot; I just hadn't uploaded it yet. So why not today, seeing as it's Kotori-chan's birthday! Happy Birthday, Kotori!

Ok, so this is basically a dream turned into a oneshot about NozoEli after graduation. So whilst everyone is depressed about the third years graduating and Muse ending ect, I hope this satisfies all your needs.

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

UmiMaki (Next)

HonoMaki

KotoNico

UmiRin

NicoEli

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

NozoHono

KotoMaki

RinPana

HonoNico

NicoRin

HonoRin

NozoMaki

Also, someone reviewed and asked for a Love Live Sunshine pairing and in response to that, I'm going to say that I will not upload it as part of this oneshot collection. And that's because this collection is Love Live only. But if Sunshine does get its own category on this site or people start adding fanfics of it to this category, I'll consider doing it.

Enjoy! XD

…

Title: Love Notes

Rating: K+

Pairing: NozoEli

…

College was definitely something different compared to high school that was for sure.

Nozomi had learned that on her first day that the teachers here were a lot stricter with you and wouldn't baby you like most did at high school. They would speak their minds and call you out on something right away if they thought you deserved it. Nozomi had found that out on her first day when she walked into her first class and the teacher literally dubbed herself 'Queen of the Universe'. There was also lots more work and it was a lot harder too.

Though Nozomi didn't mind all that as she was just glad that she attended college with her girlfriend, Eli Ayase.

The purple haired female remembered how a few months ago they had both sat in Nozomi's room with her laptop, trying to decide which college they wanted to go to. They knew that they wanted to be together as they couldn't bear to be apart for long lengths of time and they were both going to study the same things as they both had similar job interests. And so they both settled on a college that was local, easy to get into and seemed like a good choice. As long as they were together, they were both sure they were going to be fine.

Nico had chosen a college elsewhere, though she hadn't really chosen by herself. As her girlfriend, Maki wanted Nico to get a good education at college to make up for her grades at school and she got the raven into a posh college that Maki herself was going to be going to in a few years. Of course, Nico liked that it was posh and gratefully kissed the redhead every time they passed the building for Kami's sake. Maki would just sigh, but she was happy that Nico accepted as they would be together again all day.

Of course, Nozomi and Eli kept in touch with Nico and the rest of Muse though their conversation weren't as long as they all wished they could be. Honoka was still the Student Council President along with her girlfriends Umi and Kotori; Rin, Maki and Hanayo were closer than before as friends and Rin and Hanayo were dating happily. Things seemed to be going smoothly for all of them and Eli planned to get everyone together again for dinner and a catch up soon. Nozomi liked the idea of seeing everyone again and agreed that they should do it sometime next weekend when everyone was almost guaranteed to be free for it.

Nozomi spotted her girlfriend from afar and ran up to the blonde, feeling slightly guilty for making her wait. She had gotten held up in the traffic that seemed to be hell every morning again and couldn't find a parking spot, thus making her late to meet up with Eli. It was weird; Eli never seemed to get caught in the traffic and was always able to get a parking spot, despite the car park always being full, even in the early mornings. Nozomi always forgot to ask.

"Morning, Elicchi." Nozomi greeted the blonde happily, leaning down to peck her on the lips.

"Morning, Nozom-" Eli was cut off as Nozomi kissed her then pulled away with a grin on her face. "Nozomi!" The purple haired girl just laughed and grabbed Eli's hand as they started walking to class. This was basically their daily routine. Every morning Nozomi would arrive late, greet Eli then kiss the blonde before she could reply then walk to class with joined hands. The blonde showed frustration with not being able to reply, but it actually made her feel special when Nozomi cut her off just to kiss her. And even though Eli knew most people looked at them strangely when they did that and joined hands, she would just squeeze Nozomi's hand tighter.

The two of them reached their first class of the day and took their usual seats then got out their stuff as they waited for their teacher.

"I wonder where Miss Queen of the Universe is; she's never late for a class." Eli giggled in a whisper to Nozomi. She still couldn't get over that!

"Be nice, Elicchi." Nozomi replied, but she was laughing too.

"Hey, she called herself that, not me!" Eli giggled more as Nozomi put an arm around her lower back and kissed her cheek quickly before removing herself before the teacher walked in and called them out on being 'lovey dovey' during class time.

And speak of the devil, here she came, announcing the plan for the day almost immediately as she walked through the door, closing it loudly behind her. Nozomi and Eli's attention quickly turned away from each other and to the teacher.

"Ok everyone, today we're going to do something new. We're going to switch seats, temporarily." She spoke loudly, her voice echoing throughout the room she was looking around. A loud groan emitted from the small crowd. Nozomi and Eli shot each other desperate glances and Nozomi frowned. She didn't want to be separated from Eli! She was fine where she was! The blonde sensed dislike and discomfort and she squeezed Nozomi's hand under the desk, shooting her a small smile. Her eyes were sad though as she also didn't want to leave Nozomi.

"Does this mean it's going to be permanent?" A boy, identified as Akio Yamada asked, raising his hand. The teacher stared him down for a while, a frustrated look on her face.

"What did I just say?"

"Temporarily…" He replied quietly, his hand dropping back down as he sank into his seat.

"There's your answer." She said, adjusting her tiny black frame glasses on her nose. She then looked around the room again, scanning the class to see who would look like a match for whom. Her eyes then fell upon Nozomi. The pigtailed girl felt her heart skip a beat, knowing that she was going to get moved first.

"You there," The teacher spoke, pointing at Nozomi then to Akio. "Move next to that fellow." Nozomi glanced at Eli with a frown and sad eyes saying goodbye as she gathered her stuff and exited the row. Eli blew her a small kiss, making Nozomi blush and smile. The purple haired girl made her way next to Akio who was now wearing a goofy smile with starry eyes at Nozomi's arrival. The girl just rolled her eyes and turned her attention towards Eli who was still to be moved. She watched with a frown as the blonde was moved next to an older looking guy otherwise known as Tomi Okuma.

Nozomi felt her heart sink and her eyes narrow at the new seating. She and Tomi never did see eye to eye. He was always hitting on Eli, despite knowing that she was already dating Nozomi. It angered Nozomi that someone would be so ignorant like that and think that Eli would just change her mind in an instant.

Tomi looked back in Nozomi's direction and flashed her a toothy grin, which made the pigtailed girl even madder as her heart hammered loudly inside her chest and her face went red with anger. Eli caught her girlfriend's attention when Tomi turned back round and she shot her apologetic eyes as she mouthed 'It's only temporarily'. Nozomi felt herself calming down slightly, but she was still mad that the teacher had arranged the seats this way and that Tomi was enjoying it more than he should. Stupid teacher and her dumb seats...

"Ok, so now that everyone has changed seats and has a partner, I'll explain today's task." The teacher spoke loudly, as if she was afraid no one could hear her. Nozomi bet that the whole corridor could hear her. "I want you to look at your partner, and get to know them."

Akio raised his hand again, confused. "Why, though?" He asked, the confusion clear in his voice.

"Because I said so." The teacher rolled her eyes and snapped back at him in response. This time, Nozomi couldn't help but stifle a laugh though she did feel kind of bad for the boy next to her. "I'll explain more in a while. Now go and get to know each other well!"

Nozomi's lips formed a straight line as she glanced over at Akio. He was staring at her with that same stupid goofy smile and dazed eyes, though she could clearly see the sweat that was on his forehead and palms as he wringed his hands together. She then glanced at her girlfriend who was already getting started. Typical Eli; even if she didn't like the task, she still wanted good grades and went through with it.

The pigtailed girl looked back at Akio and sighed, thinking it would be good to start as well. The sooner it was started, the sooner it would be over. Though Nozomi did wonder why she couldn't have been paired up with her girlfriend. Well, then again, she already knew everything there was to know about Eli and vice versa but it was better than being paired with this weirdo and it would have been easier that way. Did Nozomi want to get to know Akio? Not really. She would have been better off with Eli.

"S-So, I'm Akio Yamada, b-but you can just c-call me Akio." The boy stammered shyly, even though he wasn't so shy earlier. Nozomi sighed.

"I know." Everybody knew who Akio Yamada was. He was just that one really weird guy that nobody really liked. Nozomi did feel a little bad for him, though she understood why people didn't like him very much.

Akio began to blab on about himself, easing himself into confidence bit by bit. Nozomi leaned back in her seat, twirling the end of one of her pigtails around her finger with a bored expression on her face. Akio didn't seem to notice. A minute later, Nozomi sat up straight and opened her binder, taking out a piece of paper and pulling a pen from her pocket. It was her favourite one. Eli had given it to her for their six month anniversary a few months ago and Nozomi loved it to pieces. It held a special place in her heart and pocket along with her tarot cards. Akio still didn't notice, either that or he didn't mind.

Honestly though, Nozomi didn't care either way. She only had one thing on her mind as she wrote in her scribbly font. 'I'm bored and I miss you.' The paper said. Nozomi crumpled the paper into a tight ball and aimed for the back of Eli's head before throwing it with a playful smirk on her face.

Eli hissed as it hit her straight on the back of the head and she turned around, ready to give the person who threw it an earful, when she noticed her girlfriend with a cheeky grin on her face. Eli rolled her eyes, no longer annoyed, as she opened the paper and turned away from Nozomi to read it. The pigtailed girl continued to watch as Eli ripped a page of her own from her binder and started writing on it. It seemed that Akio and Tomi had something in common as while Tomi was more sophisticated, he too blabbed on about himself without even noticing that Eli wasn't listening.

A little ball of crumpled paper landed on Nozomi's desk, and she noticed Eli smile to her again before turning round. The pigtailed girl opened the paper, reading it. 'Aw, I miss you too! Just hold up a bit longer. Don't want to get caught, now do you?' Nozomi chuckled and began writing back. She then tossed the paper back to Eli who was waiting for it.

'Sure, but Akio's so boring! He never shuts up… And it looks like you're having the same problem with Tomi… Though he's classier than the sweating mess I have other here." It was Eli's turn to laugh as she read Nozomi's note.

"You there! Stop being so loud!" The teacher hissed at Eli, startling the blonde. She quickly hid the paper balls under the table, not wanting the teacher to snatch them up with her bony fingers and read them. When the teacher finally turned away again, the blonde wrote another note. 'I know, but that's enough! What if we get caught? She'll kill us!' Nozomi laughed as she read the note that Eli threw to her.

'So? Hehe, you already got caught Elicchi. I bet you're gonna get caught again! Hmm… Shall we make this a game of sorts? What do you think, Elicchi?" The pigtailed girl replied, starting to feel playful.

'No. Do your work, Nozomi. Your games are never easy.' Eli replied.

Nozomi pouted upon reading the letter. 'How cruel, Eli Ayase. Try me, though! It'll be fun! How about we write love notes to each other and whoever gets caught by the teacher first has to treat the other to a parfait after classes end. Deal?' She wrote back and passed it.

'What is it with you and games…? But you have caught my interest…" Nozomi smiled as she read Eli's reply. She knew the parfait part would catch the blonde's interest.

'I bet you'll lose first!' Nozomi replied with a smirk.

'Try me.' Was her response.

And so the game began.

"So, how about you tell me about yourself now?" Akio asked after what seemed like a century. Nozomi looked up in horror, as she was writing something cheesy back to Eli. Had he already ran out of things to say? It was only moments ago that he seemed to be only half way through talking about himself and wouldn't shut up.

"Well…" Nozomi searched her brain for something to say as she continued writing her letter. "I'm Nozomi Tojo. But I guess you already know that…" The pigtailed girl tossed her paper to Eli who was waiting for it. 'Your smile is the loveliest thing in the world. Whenever you smile, I can't help but smile back. You could walk into a dull room and brighten it up just by smiling and everyone would suddenly just be happy, especially me. I look forward to seeing you every morning as you always greet me with that smile.'

"Uhh… Jeez, well, there isn't much to know about me, I guess…" Nozomi laughed nervously, twirling the end of her pigtail around her finger. She wasn't even focused on Akio next to her anymore. Well, she wasn't in the first place but… She continued to wait for a new letter from her girlfriend, anxiously.

"No hobbies? Interests? Any good memories you wanna share?"

"Uh… Well, I do have a stack of tarot cards that I treasure…" Nozomi's voice trailed off as she discovered a new piece of paper on her desk. With a happy smile, she opened the paper and read it. 'Aw, you're too kind. Really, though. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met, and I'm so glad you're my girlfriend. You're kind to everyone and always give them advice which is super sweet of you. I'm glad I have your sweetness all to myself XD' Nozomi blushed deeply as she read the note and bit her lip to restrain herself from rushing out of her seat and glomping Eli right there.

"What's that you got there?" Akio asked, trying to look over Nozomi's shoulder to read the paper but the pigtailed girl just pulled the paper closer to her and covered it from his view. She muttered a quick "nothing" before writing back to the blonde. 'You are the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. You are prettier than any sunset that we've watched together, any rainbow that we've chased and a million flowers in my garden that you planted. I think I'm the one that's lucky to have you.' She had tried to be a bit poetic with it, and meant every word that she wrote even though it was hard to come up with. Eli's beauty just had Nozomi at a loss for words; it was hard to express how beautiful she was.

"Seriously though, you keep passing notes…" Akio tried to see again and Nozomi started to get annoyed. Why couldn't the boy mind his own business? She refused again, folding one leg over the other and opened the note that she got back from Eli.

'You're the one that's beautiful. You are my gorgeous, wonderfully sweet girlfriend and I wouldn't trade you for anything, not even all the chocolate in the world! I really do love you, Nozomi. With all my heart and I couldn't ask for anything better... Even if you are an awful troublemaker and would risk getting us into trouble like this.' Nozomi chuckled at the last part, knowing that Eli was kidding as she actually loved it when Nozomi pulled pranks and it always made her laugh.

"Seriously! Let me see!" Akio whined like a child and lunged forward, reaching for the paper. Nozomi gasped, startled as she tried to slap him away from her precious note.

"Hey! Get off!" She cried, her grip loosening on the paper a little.

"Just let me see!" Akio continued to complain whilst Nozomi tried to pull the paper back to her. She wanted to punch him so badly and knew that if she did, she probably wouldn't regret it that much. Eyes fell upon the arguing duo, including Eli's, and it even attracted the teacher's attention.

"Stop that! Stop that right now!" She yelled, breaking the two apart and she stomped over to them. She turned to the rest of the class, her glasses gleaming in the light. "As you can all see, this is NOT a pair that would get along well in life. I don't know about the rest of you…but I've clearly made a mistake." She sighed deeply. The class was quiet, but a quiet giggle could be heard from the front where Eli sat. The teacher's attention snapped to the blonde. "Quiet! Miss Distraction, I've seen you and Miss Tojo swapping papers! Surely it was something interesting that couldn't wait until after class, no?" Her eyes fell upon the paper in Nozomi's hands and they narrowed. "Give me that." She said in a harsh whisper.

Nozomi only sat there, frozen in time as her hands continued to grip the piece of paper. Maybe this game wasn't such a good idea after all!

"Give it to me!" The teacher yelled, snatching the paper from the pigtailed girl's hands and opening it. "Since you and Ayase seem to love being a distraction so much, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I read your little notes over!"

"No!" Nozomi protested bravely as she tried to reach for it. She knew it was a risky thing to do, but she didn't want her notes with Eli to be made fun of by this teacher of all teachers.

"Sit down!" Was her yelled response and Nozomi sank into her seat in defeat. "Don't do anything in class apart from your tasks and don't distract each other! This is what you get!" Her voice had started out as a harsh whisper, but by now it was a loud yell. Everyone in the room flinched, especially Nozomi and Eli. The two exchanged embarrassed looks, both knowing this hadn't been a good idea and they were about to be humiliated. Eli shot Nozomi a short glare that clearly read 'It's all your fault!' Both awaited the torture that they knew was coming.

But the teacher was silent as she read over the note. Nozomi stared up at her, watching as she stood there just reading. Her mouth never opened to read them out or anything!

Then, a small smile came to her face. She handed it back to Nozomi, slowly. "Very well. Just don't let it happen again." She said softly this time and walked back to her desk as if nothing had just happened, resuming the class. Nozomi and Eli exchanged confused glances. They had actually gotten away with it! Nozomi shrugged before deciding to focus on the lesson instead this time, just in case this sudden kindness could be taken back just as quick as it had gotten there. A small smile came to the pigtailed girl's lips. Maybe the 'Queen of the Universe' wasn't so bad after all.

…

"Nozomi, over here!" Eli waved, gesturing for the pigtailed girl to come over to her. Nozomi walked over to her girlfriend and smiled. The two walked out of the classroom together, waiting until they were out of earshot of the teacher before discussing her.

"That was so weird!"

"I know, she let us off just like that! What do you think happened back there to change her mind?"

"Dunno…" Nozomi smirked. "Maybe it was the dazzling love for you that I wrote in my notes."

Eli crossed her arms. "You mean the dazzling love that got us in trouble?"

Nozomi just laughed. "Oh well…" She put an arm around the blonde and pulled her closer. "It was fun though, wasn't it? I know I had fun. Did you?"

Eli blushed at the sudden closeness and smiled. "Well… I guess it was pretty fun…"

"See! We should totally do it again sometime! Maybe in the next class…"

"Absolutely not!"

Nozomi chuckled. "Just joking, Elicchi~" The blonde rolled her eyes. The two walked down the corridor to their next class, Nozomi's arm still around Eli and the blonde leaned into the pigtailed girl's warmth. Then she remembered something.

"Hey, Nozomi?"

"Yeah, Elicchi?"

"You owe me a parfait."


	12. UmixMaki

A/N: Hello everyone! Ok so I'm way behind schedule- I was supposed to update on Eli's birthday but I didn't have time and the last few days that followed it, I forgot. You've all been waiting a bit for this, haven't you? Sorry, I'll try to be quicker next time!

First off, I have now seen the Love Live Movie. It was premiering in my country for the European premiere the day before my birthday and I luckily got tickets. It was amazing! The songs were catchy, A-RISE played more of a part this time and overall it was just beautiful. Though I was a little disappointed at the lack of Hanayo and Nozomi scenes, my happiness was restored through the countless Honoka scenes. If anyone hasn't seen it yet, you'll love it XD

Next, my birthday has come and went. I got loads of Love Live stuff, a box of Japanese sweets and tickets to see BabyMetal (one of my favourite Japanese bands). I also got the chance to try a caramel milkshake and a chocolate brownie pizza which I have wanted to try ever since seeing Emitsun and Kussun try it in the NozoHono Variety Box series. It was actually really good!

So, that's my news right now if you haven't skipped it due to boredom. And now on with the oneshot! This one is kinda heart-breaking so leave now if you can't deal with extreme feels and mentions of a horrible disease. I'm kidding, please don't leave! But it is rather sad and depressing (prior warning).

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

HonoMaki (Next)

KotoNico

UmiRin

NicoEli

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

NozoHono

KotoMaki

RinPana

HonoNico

NicoRin

HonoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

And now, enjoy! Also, the song in this is Yuuki no Reason (Umi single) with translated lyrics. (This song needs more love…)

…

Title: Sing For Me

Rating: T

Pairing: UmiMaki

…

"Maki?"

Maki looked down upon hearing the soft but weak voice and smiled weakly at Umi whose head rested comfortably on her shoulder. "What is it, Umi?" She asked softly.

"I'm tired…" Umi replied quietly as she tried to keep her eyes open. Maki stared into those dull amber eyes and started to stroke Umi's hair gently.

"I know." The redhead replied, trying to hide the awful pain in her heart that went to her usually smooth voice. "But it's only for a little longer… Just hold on…"

"So tired…" Umi stated again, trying to move closer to Maki for more warmth. Maki pulled the blue haired woman closer and held her tightly, as if she would never let her go. She squeezed her violet eyes shut to try and compose herself. She had to be strong, for Umi because she knew Umi was trying to be strong for her. Opening her eyes, she scanned over the weak woman in her lap. She was so weak, thin and fragile, so unlike what she used to look like. She was struggling to keep her eyes open; it was as if all the life force had been sucked out her, erasing any signs of what once was perfect health.

Umi had been healthy once. Then it all changed when one night, she passed out on the floor right in front of Maki's terrified eyes. Being a doctor, and being Umi's personal doctor, the redhead had scanned her quickly for injuries and having found several bruises on the bluenette's body, she wasted no time in phoning an ambulance.

Everything went by in a rush, but long story short, Umi had cancer. A deadly type that was incurable. The news broke both of their hearts to bits.

From that day, Umi had remained in the hospital and no matter how hard the other doctors and nurses tried, Maki wouldn't leave the blue haired woman's side. The only times she would was when she went to get something to eat, bathroom breaks and to get something from their home. Other than that, she stayed in Umi's private room that Maki managed to get due to being rich and the owner of the hospital.

The doctors were working hard, including Maki, to see if there was in fact a cure for Umi, but no luck so far. And Maki could tell that Umi wouldn't last much longer.

The redhead remembered when Umi wasn't so ill; when the two had fun together and nothing stopped them. The blue haired woman was quiet, but she always seemed to be happy, even when things weren't going her way. She was always smiling and trying to cheer people up with her kind words. Maki bit down on her tongue, trying to stop tears as she remembered all the good times the two had together.

The two had been a couple for more than two years now and were happily married and living in a fancy house. They had everything they could ever want… Then this happened. Maki stayed with her twenty four hours a day and even stayed in the hospital room to sleep.

But it hurt.

It hurt so much, seeing Umi in so much pain. It hurt so much that she was a doctor but she couldn't do anything to help. It just killed her inside. It hurt to watch Umi grow weaker as the days dragged on when she was usually so confident and collected. But this illness had changed all of that, and Maki wondered how long they could both be strong for.

Looking over her lover again, Maki had noticed multiple times that Umi seemed to have shrunk, maybe a little. She was so small, so fragile. It hurt so much to watch.

It hurt even more when Maki dared think that Umi might not be around much longer.

She had spoken with her fellow colleagues and they had come to the conclusion that Umi's days were becoming limited. The redhead refused to accept it and suggested some sort of surgery, though it was clear Umi wouldn't survive any sort of surgery or other treatment given. Maki felt hope crumble. Umi could be gone any day now.

"Maki?" Umi asked again, her voice sounding a little more desperate than before.

"Hm?" Maki looked down at Umi. Though she was deadly ill, the blue haired woman still tried her best to smile around Maki. She knew the redhead was feeling down and she wanted to do her best to cheer her up before…

"C-Could you sing for me?" She asked quietly, a weak smile present on her lips. Umi loved it when Maki sung. Her voice was filled with raw power but sounded so sweet at the same time. Umi remembered all the times when she couldn't sleep, Maki would sing for her one of her softest songs and it usually succeeded in getting her to sleep. She remembered countless days where she would sit near to Maki when the redhead played the piano and sang at the same time and she would applaud at the end and smile. Those times were the best, and Umi wouldn't trade her time with Maki for anything in the world.

Umi had only one regret: that she wouldn't be able to stay any longer to create more memories with the stubborn tsundere that she fell in love with.

"S-Sure." Maki smiled weakly as she clutched Umi's sweaty hand gently. A brighter smile came to Umi's pale face as Maki began to sing, her sweet voice echoing around the small room. Umi rested her head back on Maki's shoulder as she listened.

_I'm ok, everything's fine_

_Though you may be sad, you have to answer_

_Everyone, please realize_

_That's not the real me, I'm just putting up a strong front _

_Why not try crying? Just a little_

_If I presented myself as someone different, could I change? _

Umi felt her spirit lift a tiny bit at the sound of Maki singing one of her songs, her personal favourite.

_Ebbing and rising_

_The waves of my heart wash me away _

_The strength to desire something this much _

_Is the passionate reason in my chest_

Maki ran a hand through Umi's hair, twirling a blue strand around her finger as if tying Umi to herself in another way. She couldn't leave, she just couldn't!

_That's strange; I'm feeling fervent!_

_Once you've taken the first step, you've got to run_

_Has everyone gone through this?_

_Everything starts to pick up; Ah, I can't stop_

_I think I want to give those things a try_

_I'll walk forwards while counting them_

Umi gave Maki's hand a gentle squeeze, memories filling her dazed head one by one. Each one was extremely precious and Umi wished she had just a little longer.

_Breaking and then retreating_

_The shining waves filled my gaze_

_The spirit to dive into an unknown world_

_Was the reason born within me, why now? _

_Crying is a thing of yesterday _

_I feel like I can grow stronger now_

Maki took a pause for breath and during that pause; Umi reached up and kissed Maki on the lips with the last of her strength. Maki kissed back with as much gentle passion as she could and Umi knew that she had made the rightest choice in her life.

_Ebbing and rising_

_The waves of my heart wash me away_

_The strength to desire something this much_

Maki continued to sing after the kiss was broken and smiled as she closed her eyes in the peace of the moment. Umi looked so at peace right now as well. And whilst she continued to sing, she didn't even hear the gentle whisper that escaped Umi's lips,

"I love you."

_It is the passionate reason in my chest_

A sudden loud beeping sound ripped Maki from the peace as she finished singing, making her jump out of her skin. Then she realized. With a terrified look in her eyes, the redhead spun to look at the heart monitor and was greeted with an ugly red line running through.

"No no no no!" Maki looked down at the woman in her lap whose eyes were now shut tightly, her skin extremely pale and her hands cold in Maki's. Maki trembled as she sat there in a state of shock, not knowing what to do.

"U-Umi?" She shakily asked, desperate for a response as tears spilled down her cheeks. She would give anything for a response, though deep down, she knew it was already too late.

"Please wake up...!" Maki sniffed as she shook Umi gently.

Umi didn't move.

"No… No! It wasn't supposed to be like this! We were going to find a cure! We were trying so hard! You weren't supposed to die!" Maki yelled, covering her face with her palms. Tears fell rapidly as she begged Umi to come back. It hurt so damn much and Maki felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest, thrown to the floor and violently walked all over on.

It wasn't supposed to be like this…

Maki continued sobbing as she clutched Umi close, crying into her still form. It hurt, but deep down, a part of her was glad that she had granted Umi's last wish. The blue haired woman had been struggling so much, but Maki had put her to peace with her favourite song.

And that thought was what slowed Maki's sobs down a little as she gently kissed Umi's cold lips, the sounds of footsteps echoing down the silent hall outside the deadly silent hospital room.


	13. HonokaxMaki

A/N: Happy Halloween! This is another quick update, especially for Halloween. I came up with this idea rather quickly seeing as Halloween was approaching and since HonoMaki was next on the list, this oneshot was born.

I like Halloween, but I'm not a big fan of it. I prefer Christmas XD But it's a good excuse to cosplay, and I happen to have gotten a cosplay for my birthday recently…

Anyway, try not to eat too much candy tonight and enjoy yourselves!

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

KotoNico (Next)

UmiRin

NicoEli

NozoUmi

ArisaUmi

AnjuMaki

NozoHono

KotoMaki

RinPana

HonoNico

NicoRin

HonoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

Thank you for the kind reviews- especially the ones concerning my dedication. I love to write and since I love all Love Live pairings, this is the best way to get known on this site. I would rather have all the oneshots in one story rather than scattered everywhere. More unknown pairings can get known this way XD

I'm glad that people like my oneshots and really liked the last one (UmiMaki). Some people were upset though and I don't blame you; I cried whilst writing it. But anyway (since this is running on a bit), thank you for reviews and I'll definitely work hard for your entertainment!

Enjoy! XD

…

Title: Cherry Red

Pairing: HonoMaki

Rating: K+

…

Overhead, a dark sky threatened rain, clouds crossing in front of a bright full moon pushed by a soft wind that chilled trick-or-treaters to the bones. The shadows cast on to the sidewalks from the many decorations hanging and bare branches of trees that shook gently from the same wind. Costumes hid under fall jackets and scarves, though the more stubborn kids wore their costumes loud and proud, shivering in the crisp night. Overall, it was yet again Halloween and Honoka Kousaka could not wait for it to begin.

Her girlfriend, Maki Nishikino, however couldn't wait for it to all just be over. Though she was trying to be a little more light-hearted this time, due to the fact that she would be trick-or-treating with Honoka this year as Umi Sonoda and Kotori Minami (her two best friends who she usually always went with) were unavailable as Umi had caught the cold and Kotori had insisted on looking after her. Maki had been a little surprised when Honoka turned to her to spend the evening with, but she had agreed reluctantly after witnessing the ginger girl's puppy dog eyes. Maki failed to resist it every time.

So on the request of her girlfriend; Maki had permitted herself to wear something Kotori had made a while ago: A purple dress with black decorations, a small black cloak, a plain black necklace, black gloves and stocking with purple stars on them, black heels, a black devil tail and black wing head decorations. The outfit wasn't bad and Maki had no problem wearing it; to her it was better than leaving the house with something store bought like a witch or skeleton costume. It also showed that Kotori treated them right and was happy to do things like them for this. Maki liked the dress and its colour as it went with the rest of the costume, and it spun in a satisfying way when she twirled.

Not that she was standing in her girlfriend's hallway twirling her dress about. That would be just childish.

As for Honoka, she too had a costume made by Kotori. It was a red pirate costume made up of a top and skirt. The top was red with a pink-white vest under it, a black collar and black and gold decorations. The skirt was also red with a pink underskirt, a black belt with a gold buckle and a red bow on the back. As for footwear, she had long white socks with red and yellow decorations and black boots with a yellow star on the front and she had white-pink cuffs for around her wrists as well as a small black pirate hat on her head. Honoka was proud of her costume, and Maki wasn't going to lie and say it didn't look amazing. It was after all one of Kotori's works and looked brilliant. Though when the ginger had asked Maki how she looked, she had simply said "It looks fine" and that had been that.

Kotori had made one costume for everyone this year and everyone greatly appreciated it. Of course, now Umi couldn't wear hers what with her cold and all which meant that Kotori couldn't exactly wear hers either but the taupe haired girl had stated that there was always next year for them.

Maki fiddled with the devil wings on top of her head, touching the material and marvelling at how much Kotori had done over a costume that would be worn only once. The redhead leaned against the wall, waiting for everyone else to finish applying last touches to their costumes and makeup. Even though Maki knew they were too old to be trick or treating at their ages, Honoka had invited the rest of Muse, her little sister Yukiho and Eli's little sister Alisa.

So tonight they were going to be a big group walking around asking people for candy.

There was an impatient tapping as Maki continued to wait. She could hear giggles coming from the living room where everyone else was sitting. The redhead herself was waiting outside Honoka's bedroom for the ginger to exit and they could start the night.

The door to her bedroom opened and Honoka finally exited, closing the door behind her. She grinned at her girlfriend and saluted next to her hat, making her look both cute and comical.

Maki simply rolled her eyes at the gesture. "Finally. Are we going sometime this decade?"

"Aw, is Maki-chan in a bad mood tonight?" Honoka smiled. "I hope not because I'd hate for someone so cute in a cute costume to be upset, especially when that someone's my girlfriend." Maki blushed furiously as Honoka kissed her cheek and moved past her downstairs, leaving the redhead by herself. Maki pouted, the blush still present. Stupid Honoka…

Then she realized that Honoka was wearing bright cherry red lipstick and now that was probably on her cheek. Damn it, Honoka!

After cleaning up, Maki followed the ginger's trail down the stairs and entered the living room where everyone immediately got off the sofas with bright smiles. Maki took in the bright colours and cute costumes that Kotori had put together and she had to admit that looking at everyone almost put her in a Halloween mood. But she crossed her arms, her mouth a thin, impatient line.

"Who's ready to do some trick or treating?" Honoka exclaimed excitedly, popping a Hershey's kiss into her mouth. Rin Hoshizora, a fellow first year, whooped and glomped Hanayo Koizumi who blushed and stammered for Rin not to hold her so tightly. Rin ignored her and squeezed tighter. Next to them third years Nozomi Tojo and Eli Ayase were close together as well and Maki could hear Nozomi complementing Eli's outfit again and again, saying how cute she was which made Eli blush and mumble her own complements back. Also third year Nico Yazawa gagged behind them and turned to look at the youngest people in the group, Yukiho and Alisa who were discussing something about school.

The whole scene was happy and cheery, giving off a homey vibe. And it made sense because Muse was basically a family and even though Yukiho and Alisa weren't even in it, the nine still liked to include them in some of their fun.

Everyone slung their plastic bags over their shoulders and Maki headed after Honoka who was already half way to the front door. The others followed suit, happily chatting away.

The group packed out of the house, waving farewell to Honoka's parents who waved back and closed the door behind them. Honoka moved closer to Maki and latched her arm on to the redhead's as they walked down the path, the others walking ahead of them by a little.

"They are so adorable! Don't you think, Maki-chan?" Honoka whispered. Maki ignored the blush sent across her face from the sudden closeness and rolled her eyes.

"They're like twelve, Honoka. Twelve year olds are not adorable." Maki muttered in reply.

"Aw, but you were a twelve year old once, weren't you? And you were probably the cutest one ever!" Honoka grinned and Maki tried to hide her larger blush by covering her face with both hands. The ginger beside her simply laughed at her girlfriend's reaction.

The group reached the first house, all eager to start receiving candy. Honoka and Rin waved cheerfully to the woman who opened the door, and Maki saw a significant amount of candy being poured into each open bag. Honoka pulled a bag of skittles from her bag and downed the entire thing by the time everyone else was finished. She was still chewing when she reached Maki's side again.

"Well, I would say we're off to a good start!" Nozomi nodded in satisfaction at the amount of candy in her bag and Eli agreed beside her. There were traces of chocolate on the corners of her mouth and Maki knew that the blonde had already started on the chocolates that were in her bag.

"Rin got lots of peanuts, nya." The first year whined. "Rin wanted real sweets!" Hanayo moved forward to comfort the girl and patted her shoulder.

"It's all right, Rin-chan. I'll share my candy with you if you want." The brunette kindly offered. Rin sniffed, her eyes bright with happiness as she hugged Hanayo.

"Really, Kayo-chin?! Thanks, nya!"

"Hehe, Rin-chan…" The two first years then held hands as they continued down the path, Hanayo pulling a small chocolate bar from her candy bag and sharing it with Rin who happily pulled the brunette closer. The rest of the girls watched the cute display with soft eyes.

"Aw, they're so cute!" Eli whispered, cuddling into Nozomi. The purple haired girl adjusted her cape and smiled. Nico stood beside them, her arms crossed. Maki had a similar expression as she watched her fellow first years sharing the bar of chocolate.

The two were dating in the way of sixth graders almost-sort of did, but it was totally obvious to everyone that the two were very close and smitten for each other. It was like they were bound to be together. When they matured more, Maki was positive they would make their relationship known and official.

Honoka poked her girlfriend's cheek, bringing the redhead out of her thoughts. "Hey, Maki-chan? Are you ok?" The first year nodded in reply, not using words. Honoka opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it a moment later.

The group started to walk towards the next house on the street, Rin and Hanayo slightly ahead of the rest. On the way, Honoka ate her second bag of skittles and three miniature chocolate bars. Maki only had one vine of liquorice whilst she watched her girlfriend continuously reach into her bag for more candy. How the hell could Honoka eat that much anyway?

…An hour later…

Maki and Honoka shivered together on the last street of their route, huddled close together as kids all around them ran from house to house in order to fill their bags as much as possible before their curfew. They watched as Nozomi and Eli flirted with each other continuously, watched as Rin and Hanayo continued to share small amounts of candy and watched as Nico tripped over a fire hydrant on the way to another house. Everyone giggled at that one, even Maki.

Together, the girls huddled under Maki's large coat (as she had actually remembered to bring one just in case). The coat felt like more of a blanket, draping over Honoka's pirate costume and Maki's devil based costume with ease, blocking out the cold air. The kids had been running around all night, so they were warm from the activity. Rin had tried to run to warm herself, dragging Hanayo with her, but had stopped when the brunette had almost tripped. Honoka swallowed another bite of a chocolate bar and a few more skittles from Yukiho's bag.

"Payment for babysitting," The ginger stated with a cheeky smile when her younger sister protested and popped the sweets into her mouth quickly before anything could change.

Once they arrived back at Honoka's house, Nozomi and Eli left along with Alisa and Rin and Hanayo left shortly after that with Nico following them. She walked with a slight limp from tripping over the fire hydrant but assured she was fine when Mrs Kousaka offered to drive her home. Yukiho retired to her room with her bag of candy, probably waiting until Alisa arrived home so they could video chat, even though they had only been apart a few minutes. Young love. Maki never left, seeing as she was spending the night at Honoka's.

It was only about eleven at this point, and Honoka was as far from sleep as possible. Maki helped the ginger bring out her hidden stash of manjuu to go with their candy bags and they went upstairs to Honoka's room where the sugar-driven leader of Muse proceeded to pop in a horror movie.

"There better not be any ghosts in this or I'll kill you." Maki muttered. She wasn't a big fan of horror movies, especially ones with ghosts in them but she would watch them if her friends wanted to. And right now Honoka wanted to, and Maki didn't see why not seeing as it was Halloween and all. Besides, the movie was more cliché than it was scary.

Soon, the entire room was a mass of candy and their wrappers and blankets. Every single light in the house was off, and Maki could practically feel Honoka shaking from the pure energy sugar was giving her.

Twenty chocolate bars and six packets of skittles later, not to mention the five lollipops, two bags of bonbons and no less than six chocolate bananas, the ginger was no closer to sleep. Maki was close to conking out, but knew better than to leave a sugar-crazy Honoka unattended.

The ginger curled up against the redhead, and Maki felt the older girl press a kiss to her forehead. She nearly froze, but instead rolled her eyes though she couldn't stop a tiny blush form on her cheeks. Meh, it was dark anyway so no one would see the lipstick marks.

"Candy is your drug of choice," The redhead decided, pulling an unwrapped Hershey's kiss from Honoka's hands. The ginger crossed her arms and pouted.

"That was mine…"

Maki eyed her before popping it into her mouth. "Mine now." She simply replied.

Honoka turned her back to Maki, though still snuggling into her side. "If you wanted a kiss, you could have just asked for one, Maki-chan."

The first year's face fired to life with a red colour brighter than her hair and she stammered through her next sentence. "A-And just w-what are you insinuating?!" Was the demand that passed her lips. Oh, why couldn't she just make her stubborn tongue say what she meant?

She both felt and heard the older girl beside her giggle that cheeky, cute giggle. "Oh, Maki-chan, you're so adorable!"

"I am not."

"No, you really are. If only you'd see yourself the way I see you."

Now it was Maki's turn to pout, though as she crossed her arms she couldn't help but realize that Honoka actually meant it. She meant every nice word that she always said about Maki, even before they started dating a couple of months ago.

The redhead turned and looked at the ginger, who was giggling, her sapphire eyes still bright from the sugar. Well, brighter than they usually were. She looked at her full pink lips that looked so soft to the touch and she couldn't stop herself from moving forward. Screw, cherry red lipstick. Honoka stopped giggling; opening her mouth to ask Maki what she was doing, but was stopped when the redhead pressed her lips to Honoka's.

The kiss lasted only a short time before Maki pulled away with a slight blush and now red lips. Honoka was still stunned, seeing as Maki didn't really like stuff such as kisses and cuddles but she quickly forgot about all that to bask in the moment.

"You've eaten far too much sugar tonight, Honoka." Maki suddenly stated before Honoka could say a word. "Your breath is total strawberry flavoured overload."

It was Honoka's turn to blush as she grinned sheepishly. She wrapped her arms around Maki's neck and leaned against the redhead who sighed.

"Seriously though, you've had far too much sugar all in one night. Your teeth are gonna rot, and Umi will be mad at you."

But Honoka simply shrugged. "It's Halloween. She gets mad at me every time it's this time of year, so this year won't be any different. I'm used to it." Maki shook her head in disbelief at her girlfriend.

"I can't believe you… How the hell did I end up dating you of all people?" Even though the comment was offensive, Honoka just shrugged it off and laughed.

"Because you love me~"

Maki pressed her hands to her face, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. "Ugh, you're so embarrassing…"

"I know." Honoka replied with a smile as she buried her head into Maki's neck, the scent of strawberry sugar wafting into the redhead's nose, making her even more inviting. "But you love it."


	14. KotorixNico2

A/N: Wow, ok so it's been a while, hasn't it? I won't even mention how long as I'll get embarrassed and be ashamed, but it seems no one reviewed the last chapter anyway. Come on guys, HonoMaki shippers where are you?

Anyway, Happy December *December dance* I'm way behind schedule for this and I'm so sorry! And whilst I'm apologizing, now would be a good time to mention that I'm changing up the pairing order a little bit. Sorry to the reviewers that are still waiting patiently at the side for their pairing, but some come easier than others.

So the new order is:

KotoNico (This chapter)

NicoEli

AnjuMaki

UmiRin

NozoHono

KotoMaki

ArisaUmi

RinPana

HonoNico

NozoUmi

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

Again, I'm sorry for suddenly changing the order. Some pairings are easier to write for, and I want to upload as quickly as I can so no one is disappointed. Also, I didn't want too many Umi or Nico pairings too close together as I figured some people might get bored or annoyed that there was so much Umi etc all in the one. I hope you're all ok with this sudden change.

Now that that's over, enjoy this KotoNico chapter which is a continuation of my first KotoNico a few chapters back- I recommend reading that one first so you're not confused. Also featuring cute SR dresses that I like!

Enjoy! A.V

…

Title: Partners

Pairing: KotoNico

Rating: K+

…

It had been a little under a week since Nico had had the pleasure of an unexpected encounter with Kotori, her high school crush. They had met again when Kotori had called for the raven to hold the door of the elevator that she was in and then later they both got trapped in it. They were rescued of course, and afterwards they had gone back to Kotori's penthouse for dinner and a movie.

That evening had gone well and Nico couldn't be happier. _And couldn't be more in love… _

That evening after work had brought up some old feelings for the taupe haired woman and now Nico knew she was in love with her…again. What was it with Kotori that Nico just couldn't pull away from? It shouldn't be like this! High school crushes were awful and cliché by themselves let alone high school crushes that magically reappeared in someone's adult life and they became an item soon after.

It was so cliché and something that would happen only in a cheesy romance movie. But Nico felt like maybe this could and should happen; she had been waiting long enough, right? And she always was a fan of romance.

…

I don't believe it! Was the thought going round the floor of the building that Nico worked at as the raven herself walked out of the elevator she had been trapped in a few days ago and made her way to her small office with a large smile on her face. She paid no heed to the office workers around her that were trying desperately to hide their confusion by involving themselves in work once again, instead keeping her head high as she walked to her office.

Workers stared after her, but today she couldn't care less about their piercing gazes and weird looks as today she felt brilliant and it was all because of-

"Good morning!" Just as the raven closed the door and was about to turn around to settle and get started for the day, she was greeted by a cute voice that she recognised instantly.

"Kotori?!" Even if she recognised the person that the voice belonged to, she couldn't help but still jump and be shocked. The taupe haired woman only smiled sweetly in return, clutching a notebook tightly in her hands. Nico shook her head in disbelief as she made her way to her desk where Kotori was standing and she placed her bag on the table before turning to her 'guest'.

"Kotori, what are you doing here?" Nico asked as she took in the other woman's appearance. Today she was wearing a cute baby pink dress that went well with white flats and a white cardigan. She also had a white ribbon in her hair, securing her complicated style which Nico still didn't get and still forgot to ask about. So overall, Nico thought Kotori looked adorable. Though she still didn't have the guts to say it aloud.

"I thought I'd drop by early, give you a 'good morning!' so you'd feel better. After all, you told me how you hate your work." Kotori replied. As much as Nico was touched by this, something told her this wasn't the only reason why Kotori was here right now.

"Kotori, I doubt you just came here to tell me good morning." Nico plopped down in her desk chair and crossed her arms, looking up at the taller woman. "So, what is it really?"

Kotori sighed in somewhat defeat before explaining. "Well… Basically I've been set a project for work. It's not difficult; I have to make a set of costumes, three at the most, by the end of the month. I can do that no problem. My problem though is that I need to present it to my boss and her associates. Which means I need a model, but I don't know anyone outside my clients, and it would be rude to ask them…"

Nico listened carefully to Kotori's every word and before long, she felt the designer's eyes on her and it suddenly clicked in her head. "Wait… WHAT?!"

Kotori nodded eagerly. "Hai! I want you to model for me, Nico-chan." The raven stared in shock at the other woman, mouth agape as her ruby eyes widened.

"Y-You can't be serious…?"

"What's wrong, Nico-chan?" Kotori asked. "I thought you would have jumped at the chance to model. I know you would have in high school."

"W-Well-" It wasn't that she didn't want to model; it was the fact that she was kind of past all the cute idol stuff now and she didn't really see herself fit to model.

"Please, Nico-chan!" Surprising the raven again, the taupe haired designer lunged forward, dropping her notebook so she could clutch Nico's hands tightly in her own. "Please! I don't want to disappoint my boss and lose my job! That's why I beg you! Please…"

Something inside her stirred from seeing the designer's teary eyes and Nico didn't want to disappoint her. It wouldn't be fair to her, and she would hate to cause her 'crush' to lose her job. Especially when she actually enjoyed it.

"All right."

Kotori looked up. "Eh?" Nico rolled her eyes.

"You heard me. I said, I'll do it."

"Really?!" Kotori shot up from her place on the floor, almost bumping heads with Nico whilst doing so, a look of pure happiness on her face. She clasped her hands, letting go of Nico's, making the raven the tiniest bit lonely. But she shook it off and nodded.

"If it means you can keep your job, then yes."

"Nico-chan! Thank you so much! I'll do my best to make you as cute as possible!" And with that, the taupe haired woman wrapped her arms around the raven, pulling her into a warm hug. Nico felt much better in an instant and she happily accepted the hug and also returned it, her cheeks flushed at the compliment.

"Hey, Nico-chan… You know you might have to take time off work, right?"

"Even better."

…

The next morning Nico headed to work with a different intention for that day. She had managed to pull a few strings with her boss with the help of Kotori and her boss, and had managed to get at least a week and a half off her usual work. To say she was grateful was an understatement and from the second she left her boss's office yesterday, she decided that she loved her boss.

Not in the way she loved Kotori back in high school and possibly now as well, but the raven was extremely grateful for her boss's permission. She would have hated to see Kotori's upset face if she had said no.

"Well, that's not the case." Nico whispered happily as she waited in the reception for the designer to show up. She knew she was a few minutes earlier than planned, but she was really upbeat for today. Maybe being with Kotori did change her a lot…

"Nico-chan! Good morning!" Speaking of… The taupe haired woman rushed over to the other with two bags; a regular handbag that went over her shoulder that seemed to contain various sketchbooks and stationery and the other a plastic bag that she held in her hands that held something Nico couldn't see. Kotori smiled kindly.

"Let's go!"

"Jeez, give me a chance to return the greeting once in a while, Kotori." Nico rolled her eyes though she didn't really mind. Kotori just giggled as she led the way to the elevator, Nico following closely behind. On the way, the raven eyed the bag in Kotori's hands and wondered if she should offer to carry it for her. It would help a little at least, she hoped.

"Hey, Kotori? Do you want me to carry that bag for you?" She asked as they stopped at the elevator and Kotori reached for the button. The taupe haired woman smiled but shook her head.

"No, no, it's ok. I can manage. Thanks anyway though, Nico-chan."

The raven nodded in reply as Kotori pressed the button firmly, yet she still seemed to make the gesture look gentle, and the two waited for the doors to open. It didn't take long and soon they were shooting up the floors to the one Kotori and now Nico worked on, at least for this month.

The familiar ping that echoed through the elevator speakers let them know when they had arrived and when the doors opened, Kotori led the way once more. They stopped at the end of the corridor, where it seemed rather deserted, and Kotori smiled.

"This is it." She said as she gestured to the metal door for Nico to go first. The raven did so, but she stopped and held the door open for Kotori to enter first instead. The other woman chuckled as she walked through. "Quite the gentleman, Nico-chan." The ruby eyed one blushed at the compliment as she followed Kotori and closed the door behind her.

"Sh-Shut up…" She mumbled half-heartedly. "It would be hard for you to open the door with that bag so I opened it for you. What's in that thing anyway?"

"In time, Nico-chan. Let's look around first!" Kotori replied cheerfully, turning on the lights to reveal a large workspace. Both women looked around in shock, astonished by the space and the beauty of the single room. The walls were painted a light beige colour which highlighted the door and large windows that had borders of the same silver colour. There were many standing mirrors put to one side and they had wheels so whoever was using them could move them wherever they wanted as well as a few desks for performing simpler tasks such as research, drawing and designing. There was a sewing machine near the back of the room where there were no windows so Nico guessed that was where the model was to try things on so no one outside the building could see her change. There was an open wardrobe with hangers inside it near the sewing machine and there was a box of materials lying near the door.

Overall, the place looked perfect for the job.

"Amazing!" Kotori exclaimed as she moved around the room, taking in the wondrous sights.

"T-This is more than amazing, Kotori…" Nico spoke. "This is like a place a real model would work in! How'd you manage to get this room?!" Kotori laughed nervously.

"I was just given it. My boss said that she thinks I deserve the space as long as I produce something worthy of her expectations." The taupe haired woman bit her lip. "Oh… I'm starting to get nervous when I think about it…"

"Then don't think about it." Nico stated simply as she took Kotori's handbag and sat it on one of the desks. "For now, let's just brainstorm a few ideas and maybe take my measurements so you know the sizes and all."

Kotori stopped chewing and looked at the raven, her amber eyes shining with hope. "Ok! Wow, Nico-chan. You have a much more level head about this than I do, and you're the model."

"Well, of course. The model only puts on the clothes; you have to do the actual work." Nico smiled. "But I'll help out as much as I can. I did help you make some of the costumes back in high school for Muse."

Kotori nodded. "Yeah, I remember that! You pricked your finger the first time you helped out!"

"That's the bit you remember?!"

"Hehe…"

Nico sighed as she stretched in an attempt to get the kinks out of her system. "Well, let's get started." Kotori nodded in agreement and Nico could practically see and feel the taupe haired designer's determination. That was another point of why she was drawn to Kotori in the way that she was. But now was not the time for her feelings; right now she had to help her keep her job and that was what she intended to do.

…

"So in this bag I have some of my own materials from home, and last night I worked a little on an idea I had a few days ago." Kotori reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a bouquet of flowers. They were pink and definitely roses. Nico was astonished and just when she thought they were real, Kotori tugged gently on the petals.

"They aren't real, but they kind of look like the real thing, don't you think?" Nico nodded.

"But what's this have to do with anything?"

"Well…" Kotori started as she placed the bouquet carefully back into the bag. "My boss said that we should all try to have themes to our designs, like for example, occasions. There's Christmas, Halloween, Easter… And that would probably make it more interesting, especially if something like a fashion show was held in that time. So I thought that for one theme, we could try wedding and marriage."

For some reason, Nico blushed heavily and she desperately tried to regain her posture before the other woman noticed. "Y-Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. If you follow the boss's hints, then you're bound to pass."

Kotori smiled. "So… How about we start thinking of themes then we can try to come up with outfits?"

The raven shrugged. "Fine by me."

"Then let's start brainstorming."

And as the day drifted by, the two women sat down with each other with numerous sheets of paper and pens conjuring up ideas and helping each other out. Nico found this much more enjoyable than her actual work, and Kotori was glad someone she knew and who understood her was working with her; it made the job that tiny bit easier.

And by the end of the day, they had come up with several themes that both could see working out, picking the four that they liked the most, and they both left their shared office with smiles on their faces.

…

Over the next two weeks, both women were loaded with tasks such as sewing, designing and lastly trying on. Kotori did do most of the work, as she had to so she could show she had the skills to create her work but Nico did help all she could, true to her word.

And now it was the last day of the month; the last day they had to make the finishing touches to the outfits before presenting them to Kotori's boss the next morning.

"All right, Nico-chan! Let's try the outfits on again, just to make sure they fit and then I'll make some tiny adjustments, ok?"

Nico nodded. "Sounds good. You've done well, Kotori." The taupe haired woman grinned sheepishly, red tinting her cheeks.

"Thanks, Nico-chan. But I couldn't have done it without you!" Nico blushed as she turned away and walked to the end of the room where the outfits were hanging up.

"I-I'm gonna try these on now." She mumbled, loud enough for Kotori to hear and the other woman just chuckled.

"Still the same old Nico-chan." She whispered softly.

…

The next morning arrived quickly and it was rather early when Kotori and Nico made their way up to the floor Kotori's boss and the other employees would be on. They had brought their clothes up to that floor before they left work last night so they didn't have to stop in, collect it and drag it into the elevator with them, so they could go on ahead.

"Nico-chan, are you nervous?" Kotori asked a few minutes after they entered the elevator. The raven herself turned to face the taupe haired woman, visibly trembling slightly.

"N-Not at all!" She replied bravely. But Kotori could see right through her now and smiled.

"Are you afraid of messing things up?" Bang on the dot. Since when did Kotori understand me so well? Nico thought. So she didn't appear rude, she replied.

"I-I just don't want to ruin your hard work; I would be devastated if you lost your job because of me." She said quietly, looking down at her feet. Kotori watched her, intrigued by the fact that Nico wanted to be of help so badly and would hate for her to lose her job. It made Kotori all that more fond of the raven.

"Now, now, Nico-chan. What did I tell you about letting me take all the credit for the work? You've helped too, and I have full confidence that you'll do great!" The taupe haired designer smiled fondly and the raven looked up with a shocked expression. Kotori really thought like that?

"Kotori…"

Her smiled widened. "Now, let's do our best!" Nico smiled in return.

"Let's."

…

Nico bit her lip as she fiddled with the buckles on her shoes. She could hear Kotori and the other employees and her boss speaking just outside the changing space she had been provided and her nervousness returned. As she finally finished with the shoes, she looked in the mirror. She didn't look that bad at all! She shook her head, her black pigtails swaying behind her.

Now was not the time to be nervous; she needed to be there for Kotori, and that's what she was going to do.

"Nico-chan, are you ready yet?" Kotori called on the other side of the door. Nico hurriedly fixed herself and called back with a nervous smile.

"I'm ready!" She emerged from the changing room a few moments later and waited for the responses. She didn't expect much response to this outfit alone as she and Kotori had chosen the Casual theme first which was a frilly black skirt, a red top with a see-through black cover and a light beige hat. Kotori had also brought up a red bag with black straps, red buckle heel shoes and appropriate jewellery. It was casual, yet appeared to be dressy. Nico hoped the boss wouldn't mind.

The boss herself only wrote a few things down on her clipboard and the other employees whispered amongst themselves whilst Kotori went bright red. Nico could tell that the taupe haired woman thought she had done something wrong and she felt determined to change it. Without another word, the raven turned and walked back into the changing room to put on the next outfit.

She knew the 'setlist' for the outfits and she put on the next one quickly so she could get back to Kotori. She exited the changing room wearing the next theme: Christmas. This one was a dress that had a cute red and green pleated tartan skirt with the exact same colour of tartan on a short cloak that had fluffy white trims. To go with it was stripy pink and white knee-high socks, plain black shoes, a black belt and mistletoe ribbons for Nico's pigtails.

This outfit seemed to surprise everyone in the room, apart from Kotori of course and Nico winked at the taupe haired designer to make her feel better. Kotori returned the gesture with a smile, mouthing that she was doing great. The boss wrote down more on the clipboard and Nico went to change again.

She returned with the second last theme: Yukata/Traditional. The yukata Kotori had made was baby pink with occasional dashes of dark pink, gold and white and the sandals she got were plain beige but they were hidden under the long yukata. It had taken longer to get changed but that was only because Nico had completely changed her hair from pigtails to twisted buns which were secured with dark pink ribbons. The look overall suited the model presenting it and it gave off the proper traditional look yet still managed to look cute and fun.

And finally, Nico went and changed for the final time and came out wearing the last theme: Wedding. She and Kotori had loved this suggestion and both were determined to make it happen. If anything, Nico could tell that Kotori had put the most work into this idea than all the others. It made Nico feel special that she could wear any of Kotori's designs, much like how she did when they were still in Muse, but to wear a wedding dress was different. It gave off the proper feelings for a wedding after all.

The dress was plain white, though there were some gold bits on it, and two large ribbons held the sides up to make it look frilly. The dress itself wasn't long; instead it was short and Nico wore white knee-high socks and heels with gold bits on them. There was no full sleeves, but there were clear bits of material that went around her arm just above her elbow and a gold button was in the centre of the top of the dress. Nico had changed her hairstyle back to pigtails and had secured them with ribbons of the same material as the bits around her arms and she wore a silver tiara with pink jewels in it. And as a last piece to complete the outfit, Kotori had put together a bouquet of pink roses in a white casing secured with a gold ribbon.

This outfit had the boss on her feet, staring with wide eyes of wonder and a half open mouth out of amazement. The clipboard lay on the desk, abandoned. Both Nico and Kotori had no clue what this meant and they waited patiently for results.

Coming out of her daze, the boss stepped forward with a still amazed look on her face. Her lavender eyes were bright with joy and delight as she stood in front of both Nico and Kotori and clapped.

"Well done!" She exclaimed happily and Nico exchanged glances with Kotori who was now as equally overjoyed as her boss.

"You mean I passed?!" The taupe haired designer squeaked. The boss nodded.

"Yes! I'm so amazed by your work, Kotori-san!" She turned to Nico who was looking at Kotori. "And you too! What's your name?"

Nico turned to face the boss, looked around and pointed at herself. "Eh? Me?"

"Yes, you! I don't want to have to call you Wedding-san, now do I?"

"N-No! My name's Nico Yazawa. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Get in good with the boss; show Kotori that you can get along with her. The raven bowed respectively. The boss laughed.

"Now, now, no need for formality. It should be me that's formal to you! You look a pretty sight in Kotori-san's work, especially that wedding dress, Yazawa-san."

Both model and designer blushed at the comment and the boss smiled before turning to Kotori. "That was amazing work. I expected nothing less from you, Kotori-san." Then she turned to Nico. "And you, Yazawa-san…" She smiled fondly at the raven and gave Kotori a small wink. "I knew from the moment you stepped in here that you would have what it takes…"

"E-Eh?" Nico was confused, but Kotori seemed to get it and by the looks of it, it was something important and exciting as Kotori could not keep still.

"So, Yazawa-san, I have a favour to ask…" The boss produced a sheet of paper from behind her back along with a pen. "I would very much like it if you would agree to working in this department full time, as a model."

"Eh? Eh?!" Nico could not contain her shock. "Y-You want me to model for you?!"

"Well, not me specifically, but yes! I would like you to work alongside Kotori-san as a duo for our upcoming designer brand and magazine. You can work alongside other designers as well if you'd like and you'll get a reasonable pay. Even more if the magazine is a hit. So what do you say, Yazawa-san?"

Nico was frozen with shock. Her, a model? She had the opportunity to work in this part of the building, wear beautiful clothes, present them and work with Kotori?

"I-I'd be honoured! Thank you very much!" The raven bowed politely and the boss came forward to shake her hand.

"Congratulations, Yazawa-san. And you too, Kotori-san. I look forward to seeing you both next day." A few more words were exchanged and Nico changed before she left the room with Kotori who hugged her the second they were in the elevator.

"This is great, Nico-chan! I can't wait to work with you!" The taupe haired woman was abuzz with joy and it filled Nico with warmth and happiness and love. Love…

"Oh, I'm just so happy I could kiss you!" The words were spoken, but not by Nico.

"Eh?" The ruby eyed woman looked at Kotori who was red in the face and desperately trying to cover up what she had just said.

"N-Nico-chan! G-Gomen! I didn't mean to say that so suddenly-!"

She lost it. All her feelings came out as Nico took the few steps forward to close the gap between her lips and Kotori's. She immediately took note of the minty, sweet taste and pressed herself further into Kotori's warm embrace. The amber eyed woman herself was surprised but deepened the kiss after a moment.

So, did that mean that they both wanted the same thing…?

The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. The two women broke apart in a split second and they took their time wandering out to the main doors. But once they were outside, Kotori claimed Nico's lips again, not giving a single care in the world that everyone could see them.

"I've been waiting for you, for this, Nico-chan…"

"Me too, Kotori…"

"Shall we head to my place? Same as last time?"

"Why not?"

"Let's go then, partner." Nico liked the sound of that, partner.

They set off down the street towards Kotori's home, holding hands and walking closely together. A small smile reached Nico's lips as she looked down at their joined hands. She didn't care in the slightest that this was rushed and it made no sense and that nothing had been explained yet.

Oh well, there was plenty of time for that when they eventually got to Kotori's… Right now all she wanted was happiness and the feeling that her love wasn't as unrequited as she had thought.

Maybe things actually do work out once in a while after all.


	15. AnjuxMaki

A/N: Hey everyone! Guess what… It's almost Christmas! Exactly five days until it actually- well, where I am anyway. So, how are you all doing? Excited? Good; you should be! I know I am!

It seems all my shippers and reviewers have gone missing though… *looks around* Hello…? Hello~ Please leave a review if you enjoy the story; it fuels my writing power which means I can blast through these requests and take in other ones sooner!

Also, sorry I'm making a last change to the order by putting AnjuMaki before NicoEli. I promise this is the last change!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NicoEli (Next)

UmiRin

NozoHono

KotoMaki

ArisaUmi

RinPana

HonoNico

NozoUmi

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

Enjoy this festive themed oneshot that I wrote on a train! XD Merry Christmas in advance; I hope you all get the presents what you want and deserve!

…

Title: Our Winter Clichés

Rating: K+

Pairing: AnjuMaki

…

Ice Skating

Maki Nishikino looked down at her girlfriend with a straight face, though she had to admit that a small smile was tugging at her cold lips.

Anju Yuuki was on her knees, pure white snow around her swirling around her in an attempt to knock her off her course of building a tiny snowman couple in it. Despite being cold, which showed with her even paler complexion and bright pink cheeks, she continued without looking even the slightest bit fazed by the winter weather. Her long auburn hair framed her petite face perfectly, and with her violet eyes sparkling like they were with childish joy, Anju certainly looked the pretty picture.

It was a moment after she had finished and had shuffled backwards a bit to admire her handiwork (Maki had always said she had a talent for art) that she looked up at the red haired girl with large pleading eyes.

"Please, please, please…" Anju pleaded, bringing up the topic the two were 'discussing' before the auburn girl had started her artwork. She clasped her hands to look even more desperate and for effect to test if that would boost her chances.

"No." Maki replied bluntly.

"Come on, Maki-chan! It's only ice skating!"

"With just the two of us?"

"It's more romantic that way, is it not?" Anju pouted slightly, placing a finger on her chin. Maki rolled her eyes and sighed, crossing her trembling arms. Why the hell did she agree to come all the way out here just so she could freeze to death and participate in some wild activity that Anju had brought up only less than fifteen minutes ago? She guessed the only good side was that it was with Anju.

"That's not the point!" The first year retorted, turning her head to look at the empty frozen lake nearby. "I haven't skated in years…"

Thinking she was a bit closer to success now, Anju's spirits brightened even more and she sprang up off the snowy ground to stand, showing off her dominant height in comparison to Maki.

"I'll help you! It'll be just like those cute romance movies that are usually on during winter!" Nothing could stop the girl now as she started walking towards the lake determinedly. She stopped after a few moments, waiting for Maki with an outstretched hand. The redhead sighed once more, mulling over her thoughts, before walking closer to Anju and taking her hand.

"Lead the way…" She mumbled, cheeks bright red. Anju grinned and cheered as she lovingly led her girlfriend towards the sparkling lake.

The rest of the day was spent doing neat figure-eights, spins and tricks on the surface of the frozen water. Maki was terrible to start with, having forgotten everything she was once taught, and had to have a lot of help from Anju who did so with no hesitation (though she did tease an awful lot) and by the end of the day, the first year was doing only slightly wobbly jumps and full spins with only a little difficulty.

Anju smiled the whole way through.

…

Hot Chocolate

Maki let out a content sigh as she sat down next to Anju in front of the large fireplace of her parent's log cabin out on a private winter resort that the Nishikino's went to every winter. Unfortunately, her parents couldn't attend this year as accident rates had upped during the icy season so leaving for a break wasn't an option. Her mother had kindly suggested Maki still go, but with Anju instead.

So that's how they came to spend a week of their Christmas break in a comfortable log cabin that was very well furnished and big. Anju had been taken aback by the obvious wealth of the Nishikino family, despite already being familiar with the house. It was just a lot on such a little cabin.

It was cold and Maki had turned the heating up to the highest setting in an attempt to warm up both her body and Anju's. It was snowing heavily outside, and neither girl could actually see outside the numerous windows in the cabin which was rather frightening. There were two stockings, one red and one purple, due to Anju's insistence.

Both girls watched the blazing fire dance on top of the large logs in the fireplace, eyes alight with the orange flame. Though Anju was the only one watching with complete interest; Maki was bored as heck and was trying to get her mind of it. Anju had begged her to stay on the floor with her watching the fire instead of turning on the TV and watching some late night show and Maki, not finding a way to escape-refuse-, accepted and sat.

Anju rested her head on the smaller girl's shoulder, her auburn hair falling over her shoulders. Maki blushed a bit, though let her be, finding no suitable reason to remove her. It was amazing how some of Anju's simplest loving actions still had such an effect on her and made her blush, even after a year of dating.

"You know what this needs, Maki-chan?" Anju softly spoke, suddenly moving her head from her girlfriend's shoulder, causing the redhead to look at her to know why she had moved. Before the younger girl could even open her mouth to speak though, the auburn haired one was already finishing her sentence. "Hot chocolate!" The lively one of the pair shot up off the floor, heading for the fully stocked kitchen that would keep them going for the last few days of their stay in the cabin. Maki simply sighed and moved her gaze back to the lit fireplace. Anju would never change, would she?

It was only a few minutes later that a loud 'crash!' came from the kitchen, echoing around the cabin, and a quick yelp followed it. Maki wasted no time at all as she hurried to the kitchen at top speed, having to clutch the doorway to stop herself from skidding into the wall. She was greeted by the sight of Anju kneeling in the middle of the kitchen, the floor around her covered in broken glass, and hot chocolate stained her skirt and leaked around the shards.

"Anju!" Maki exclaimed. "Don't move!"

"It's fine, Maki-chan. I'm all right." The violet eyed girl assured. Maki paid no attention to her words and instead worked on grabbing a dustpan and brush and sweeping up the dangerous shards of glass that surrounded her girlfriend in a ring. Once she was sure all shards were swept up, she disposed of them in the glass bin before going back to Anju who was still kneeling on the floor. The auburn haired girl had cleaned up the rest of the mess and had sat the rag next to her feet. But the rag wasn't Maki's main concern as she did her best to pick Anju up bridal style and move her somewhere better so she could scan for any possible injuries.

"You're getting rather strong, Maki-chan~" The older girl joked, trying to lighten up the mood that had set in the cosy cabin. Her redheaded girlfriend ignored her though and placed her awkwardly on the sofa.

"Where?" She asked. Anju, immediately getting what Maki was talking about, awkwardly presented the back of her hand where several small red cuts were resting. Being the smart and prepared female that she was, Maki rushed off to get rubbing alcohol and a bandage.

Later, when Anju's delicate hand had been taken care of, the auburn haired girl came up to Maki who was making more hot chocolate in the kitchen.

"What is it?" She asked, not looking up from the mugs. Anju simply raised her bandaged hand in front of the redhead's face and smiled.

"Kiss it better?"

Maki looked at her girlfriend with a blank face. "You what?"

"Kiss it better."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"It still hurts."

Maki stirred Anju's mug with a teaspoon before setting it down on the countertop with a sigh and moving closer to Anju. Taking the older girl's injured hand, she slowly pressed her lips against the white fabric, cheeks aglow with embarrassment. Thank god her parents weren't here. "B-Better?" She mumbled after removing her lips from the hand.

Anju smiled and nodded. "Better. Thanks, Maki-chan!" She leaned forward and gave the younger girl a chaste kiss on the cheek before retreating back to the fireplace with a grin on her face.

Maki stood stunned for a moment, cheeks as red as her hair and the mugs steaming on the counter beside her. Anju's giggle brought her back to reality after a few more moments and she picked up the two mugs carefully and walked into the living room to settle down again.

"Thanks, Maki-chan."

"No problem, Anju."

…

Mistletoe

"Really, Anju?" Maki asked, crossing her arms as she looked up in disbelief at the infamous green plant hung on top of the doorway to Anju's bedroom. The auburn girl nodded with a grin.

"Maki-chan~" She rocked on her heel back and forth, trying to contain herself though the redhead could tell she was excited. "It's tradition! Did Nozomi-san not teach you anything?"

"One, don't bring Nozomi into this. She's been rambling about this sort of stuff for weeks now. Two, I'm your girlfriend so you shouldn't need a plant to be able to kiss me." The younger girl stated. Anju sighed and pouted cutely.

"Where's your Christmas spirit, Maki-chan? Santa-san won't come to you if you continue to behave like that." The brief second after she spoke those words, Anju knew she had Maki's attention. It was a common fact, to all her close friends anyway, that Maki may have not been all over Christmas like others, but she had a soft spot for a certain jolly old man in red that she was certain of that she got visited by every year. No one had the heart to tell her otherwise.

"Don't use those sort of tricks against me, Anju…" Maki mumbled as she made her way to the door. She was almost there when Anju stepped in front of her, blocking her way in.

"Anju…"

"You know the rules, Maki-chan."

"Do you do this with your parents as well?"

"Of course not! I saved it just for you!"

"I knew it." Maki sighed, uncrossing her arms suddenly and taking one last look up at the festive plant on top of the door. Rolling her eyes, the redhead stood up on her toes a little so she could properly reach her girlfriend's height, blushing when she still didn't quite reach it. But Anju thought it was incredibly adorable and had no trouble at all with bending down a bit to meet Maki's lips halfway.

They parted after a few moments, cheeks pink and both content with what just happened.

"…Did you know that mistletoe is actually poisonous?"

"Don't ruin the moment, Maki-chan."


	16. NicoxEli

A/N: Happy New Year everybody! Well, it's going to be in a few hours where I am but it could be 2016 for some of you already or it might be ten or more hours until the new year for some! But I just want to wish everyone everywhere a happy new year and I hope you all get good luck!

In honour of 2016, New Year's Eve and the new card set on LLSIF that inspired this (a bit), I present this NicoEli oneshot that I'm really proud of!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

UmiRin

NozoHono

KotoMaki

ArisaUmi

RinPana

HonoNico

NozoUmi

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

Oh also, the Love Live seiyuus performed at a New Years thing earlier this morning (the name escapes me) but I'm sure if you researched it it will come up. Or search it on YouTube, Tumblr or find the live stream link. It was great though Nan-chan (Eli's seiyuu) wasn't there :(

Enjoy and Happy New Year! XD

...

Title: New Year's Determination

Pairing: NicoEli

Rating: K+

...

It was December, running up to the end of it actually which of course meant the end of the year as well, and all of Japan was abuzz with preparation and activity for the New Year festivals that were held on that night to welcome the new year in all its glory.

And of course since Japan loved their festivals, most of the population attended. It was amazing with all its wonderful colors, delicious food and great games; everything you expected to see at any normal carnival or festival anywhere in the world. Except Japan somehow had that special magic that made you feel better and involved more than you would anywhere else.

But sometimes there were too many people in the one place and that would cause various problems for the staff and surrounding people, so over the past few months, various companies and different people planned more festivals and events in order to even out the crowds. It seemed like a good idea, and hopefully it would work like they wanted. Though most people by then had already decided to stay at home this year and celebrate with relatives and friends instead of getting involved in riots and queues etc. But that was fine; it wasn't like they were going to be missed in the large crowds.

At least seven members of the popular idol group Muse weren't those kind of people though. They liked the New Years festival as much as everyone else and would happily attend every year. The only exceptions were Maki, who simply said she spent New Years with her parents but had been to one of the festivals before, and Eli.

Now Nico, and everyone else, had quite recently discovered (what with all the festival and New Year talk between the nine of them) that the quarter Russian had NEVER been to a New Years festival before. He reactions were quite impressive indeed.

Honoka and Rin shrieked with shock, Nozomi and Kotori gasped, Maki shrugged yet still had a frown on her face, Hanayo started babbling about all the lovely rice based dishes the blonde had missed out on and even Umi stared at her out of shock.

Nico turned out to be the only one keeping a slightly level head about the current situation by just crossing her arms, but she couldn't help but feel a bit upset for her fellow third year. She had really never been to a New Years festival? It seemed like a lot of fuss over nothing, but Japan was made up of their food, merchandise, landmarks and festivals so being a resident of a city in Japan and a person sharing that they had never been to a festival before was a big deal. Hanayo was right, though not about the food: Eli had been missing out on a lot. And Nico should know as after all, she never missed those kinds of things, even when she had to babysit her three younger siblings. She would simply just take them along with her; they loved it anyway.

So then came the thought that only briefly came to the raven's mind and ended up returning and staying there for the next two days: Maybe, just maybe, Nico could invite Eli to come with her this year to the festival? It wasn't a bad idea. The two were close, maybe not as much as the blonde was with Nozomi their fellow third year, but close enough to be classed as friends. They were comfortable around each other and Eli had been known to go to Nico for advice every now and then. Overall, Nico thought it was a good idea and it would boost their friendship if anything.

But of course, the petite girl hasn't popped the question yet and it was only less than a week until New Year and the festival. In her mind, she claimed she was waiting for the right moment (and for Eli to be alone as oh my god it would be so embarrassing to ask in front of everyone, especially Nozomi who would more than likely tease them both about it right up until February) but that 'right moment' had yet to present itself.

It was incredibly frustrating as come on it was Nico Yazawa- the girl that never hesitated to show how she felt or say what she thought. So why was it so difficult to ask one of her friends if they wanted to go with her to a festival? Was it the thought of rejection? Or the fact that it would just be her and Eli for more than two hours? But that couldn't be it; she had been alone with Eli tons of times, and she didn't think of Eli as anything other than a friend! She was positive about that.

Nico groaned as she slumped in her seat in the clubroom, her face disappearing into the dark abyss that her arms provided. Her pigtails slipped over her shoulders, the uneven ends tickling her cheeks but the raven made no move to push them back, a miserable frown on her face. This situation was getting out of control, and Nico had no idea why.

She thought she better sort herself out before someone walked in and saw her like this but she had yet to even make an attempt.

"My, my, Nicocchi~ It looks like you've got something incredibly important on your mind today~" A short giggle. "Could it be the same thing that's been on your mind for the past two days as well?"

Nico knew that voice from anywhere and upon hearing it, she decided that she most definitely wasn't going to move now.

"What do you want, Nozomi?" The Raven asked instead. "Shouldn't you be in the Student Council room with Eli?" Damn, her thoughts were back on Eli and her failed question. That's what she was trying to avoid!

"I should, but I went to buy drinks and then I thought that I'd stop in and see if my favorite imp was here. Guess my question's been answered. Though I didn't expect to find you in here like...this..."

Nico didn't respond, just slumped further in her seat. She wished that Nozomi had just bought her stupid drinks and went back to the Student Council room- back to Eli. Damn, again!

"Nicocchi..." The pigtailed girl heard the muffled sound of cans clattering on the large desk and a seat being dragged out noisily as she suddenly felt a presence next to her. Great. Still Nico didn't look up.

"Nicocchi... Is there something bothering you?" There was genuine concern in Nozomi's voice and the Raven was sure that there was the face to match it.

Nico knew she should say something as a worried Nozomi was rare but being worried about Nico was even rarer, but she didn't really know what to say. How could she explain that she was moping around just because she couldn't find the courage to ask one of their friends to a festival simply because she had never been before. Wait, was this moping? Yeah, it probably was.

"It's nothing..." What a response that came from Nico Yazawa's mouth. Nozomi sighed from her side; the purple haired girl knew that the Raven wouldn't cooperate that well but hey, she could try.

"Nicocchi~ Do you want me to give those small beasts a squeezing they'll never forget~?" That got the other girl moving. Nico shot up from her chair, glaring at the older girl whilst her hands covered her chest.

"Stay away, you monster!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong with you~" Turquoise eyes glinted with laughter and mischief. Nico backed away slowly for a good few moments, debating her options. She could spin the other girl a tale about something else and carry on moping, or she could tell all and maybe receive help?

"*Sigh*... Fine, I'll tell you. Just..keep those hands to yourself, geez." Nozomi nodded in agreement, settling down in her seat again as Nico did the same beside her. A few moments passed with silence, but just when Nozomi was about to prompt Nico again, the Raven finally decided to talk.

"I-I... You know how we were talking about New Years and festivals the other day, right?" A nod. "Well, I..." Nico sighed. "I thought I could take Eli with me this year, seeing as she's never been before!" The petite Raven crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to stay calm and not wanting to see Nozomi's reaction. It would probably be priceless.

"And... You don't know how to ask her, is that it?" The purple haired girl said, gaining Nico's attention. She nodded in reply.

"I mean, I can do it. It's just I don't know if she'd want to, or if she has other plans and-"

"I get it, Nicocchi, it's fine." Nozomi smiled. "It's simple; I'll bring it up in conversation and you could just throw it in there. Or you could just blurt it out of nowhere, I guess?"

"Who do you think I am?!"

"I was just suggesting things!" The pigtailed girl leaned back in her seat. "Seriously Nicocchi, I really think you should just ask her. I'm sure Elicchi would love to go with you."

"Really?" Nico asked, eyes bright and a small smile on her lips. Maybe telling Nozomi was a good idea after all; she hadn't teased or annoyed her like she had thought she would've.

Nozomi nodded before a smirk overtook her features, her eyes once again glinting with that crazy mischief all of Muse had come to witness over the past year. "You know, it's really sweet that you want to go with Elicchi~"

And there was the teasing.

...

Nico fiddled with her hands as she waited outside one of the third year classrooms for Eli who was on tidy up duty that day. She had decided that today, less than two days until the festival, that she would finally ask the blonde if she wanted to join her. Part of her felt stupid about leaving it so late, but another part totally understood the hesitation. Nico Yazawa wasn't built for rejection.

"Nico?" Speak of the devil! The Raven turned at the call of her name and was met with bright blue eyes and a high blonde ponytail. "You waited for me? You didn't have to."

The ruby eyed girl shrugged though inside she was freaking out. Come on Nico, remember Nozomi's advice. Oh wait, that wasn't helpful at all. I keep telling her I'm not into Eli!

"Nico?"

"Ah, sorry! What I meant to say was..." Her hands went down to play with the hem of her skirt instead. Come on Nico... "Do you want to come to the New Years festival with me in two days?" The Raven blurted out suddenly. She wasn't sure if Eli had caught it, but at least it was out in the open now. Even if there was a chance she had to repeat it, the second time was always easier than the first.

A few moments of silence passed between them and Nico was suddenly afraid she had done something wrong. What if Eli was offended and thought the Raven was just taking pity on her or what if-

"Really?! I'd love to!"

"Eh?" Eli's response was unexpected, but alas made Nico happy. She locked eyes with the blonde who's own pair were shining with childish excitement. That alone made Nico's heart thump louder in her small chest. Control yourself Nico, it's just Eli...

Arms locked around her and Nico could barely breathe from the closeness of her fellow third year who was now smiling like a child with chocolate, or Rin with ramen and Hanayo with rice.

"Thank you, Nico..." It was three little words but Nico could feel all of Eli's gratitude in them. And suddenly they were separated.

"Eli-chan, there you are!" Honoka. Nico silently seethed at the ginger's timing; she had hoped to spend at least a little longer in that embrace... Wait, what? No!

"I'll see you later then, Nico? Nico?" Like she had been under a spell, the Raven snapped out of her trance and focuses on the quarter Russian that was currently being pulled down the corridor by Honoka who was still talking. Yet all Eli's attention was on Nico. That fact filled the pigtailed girl with warmth as she fought to concentrate on a reply.

"Y-Yeah..." She waved foolishly at the pair who waved back. Then she was left alone in the already empty corridor. She sighed.

"That went well..."

"Sure did."

"Eek! Nozomi! Don't do that!" The purple haired girl giggled as she slipped out from the shadows.

"Sorry, Nicocchi. But from the looks of it, you need to stop spacing out."

"Hmpth." The younger girl crossed her arms stubbornly as she turned away. A few moments passed before Nozomi spoke.

"I told you she's want to go with you, didn't I?"

Nico turned back to face her friend. "Y-Yeah... Thanks, Nozomi..."

The turquoise eyed girl laughed with a smile. "No problem, Nicocchi. But it seems like you've changed your mind about Elicchi~"

"No I haven't! Goddammit, stop!"

Nozomi simply laughed and continued to tease.

...

It was finally New Years Eve and everyone was already gathering at the various festivals available that night in their outfits of many colours and materials.

Nico arrived at hers first, her three younger siblings beside her. She mildly disliked the fact that she had to bring her siblings with her what with Eli coming but she pushed it aside to be the great big sister her siblings said she was.

"Nico!" Knowing the voice instantly, the third year's head shot up, scanning the crowd for a blonde ponytail. But upon finding none, she grew confused.

"Boo!"

"Eek!" Nico jumped as she heard Eli giggle with her siblings following with their own laughter. The Raven groaned; it was like Nozomi all over again.

"Eli!" She whined and the blonde winked, her tongue poking out cutely.

"Sorry~"

Nico sighed as her eyes drifted to the quarter Russian's outfit. They drank in the lovely light blue yukata with gold and pink trims that fit onto the slim body, the lily and tulip pattern that adorned it and the high bun on top of her head made out of golden strands and secured with a wisteria bobble. She wore a silver chain around her neck which a sapphire hung off of. It stunned Nico how one simple outfit could look so amazing. It was dazzling next to hers which was simply a light pink yukata with dark pink trims with a square pattern whilst her hair was secured in two buns with pink ribbon she had found in her younger sisters' jewellery box. She looked like such a child compared to Eli.

"Ah, sorry." Eli said.m, picking up on Nico looking at her. "I didn't have time to buy anything better. It would've helped if you had told me a little sooner, Nico~" The blonde joked, fiddling with her bun.

Nico couldn't believe it. Eli looked like angel; how could anything be better? No Nico, you're doing it again! Get yourself under control. You don't have feelings for Eli!

The two girls locked eyes for a brief moment which then turned into several which felt like hours. Blue and red, deep colours of the palette. Nico felt like she could just stare into those blue pools for hours...

"Onee-chan! Can we go now? I'm hungry!" The oldest of the triplets, Cocoa, said loudly, gaining the two older girls' attention.

"S-Sure! Let's go look for a sweets stall, eh? Just don't tell Mum, ok?" Nico winked. The triplets giggled and started manoeuvring through the busy crowds, Nico and Eli following slowly but not too slow that they would lose them.

"You look nice, Nico." Eli spoke with a kind smile, her eyes glancing at the raven's outfit. "You really suit pink, and your hair in buns. I'm surprised I've never told you that before."

A small dark shade of pink overtook the smaller girl's face as the compliments circled in her head and rang in her ears. Eli was complimenting her of all people? But she looked so much better, and come to think of it, she had complimented the blonde back!

"T-Thanks. You look...really..beautiful..." Nico tried to get the words out over her pounding heart, and Eli looked slightly surprised. It was rare to get a compliment out of Nico and to hear the word beautiful directed at herself, Eli was stunned into silence for a few moments.

"Nico... Thank you." The quarter Russian smiled softly, before looking away with a blush on her face. Nico bit her lip, the blush on her face growing. Get it together, Nico, it was only a compliment... Or three.

"Onee-chan! Hurry up! We want candyfloss!"

Nico sighed. "All right, we're coming!" She turned back to Eli. "Sorry, they're so demanding when they're hungry." Eli just laughed and grabbed Nico's hand, surprising the Raven even more.

"In that case then, we better hurry up and feed them!" She grasped the small hand tightly and started sprinting slightly through the crowds.

"Hey! Slow down! Eli!"

...

Nico panted as she was still trying to recover from the sudden exercise. She may be fitter now due to Muse and she loved practice and performing, but that didn't mean she liked normal exercise. She wiped her brow as she watched from afar as the triplets and Eli ate sticks of candyfloss, laughing together. They looked like they were getting on, and that made Nico happy. Eli always did look like she was a kid person.

She looked down at her knees, trying to recover strength to walk over to them.

"Nico? You ok?" The Raven looked up at Eli and nodded.

"I'm fine, just don't do that again."

"Sorry. I thought you were fitter than that."

"Hey!"

"What? It's not my fault." The blonde shook her head in disbelief, before offering her stick to Nico who was now standing upright. "Here."

"Huh? But it's yours."

"We can share. I feel bad that you treated me and I haven't treated you yet. So go ahead."

The Raven took the stick slowly. "Thanks..." Eli winked.

"Now let's go do something fun. We've still got a little time before midnight!"

...

"You want to do what?"

"Please, Onee-sama! We'll win on the first go, promise!" Nico sighed at Kokoro's reply. Of course her siblings would want to play the game stalls- anything for a stuffed teddy or any prize actually.

"Kokoro... You know those things are difficult..."

"But that doesn't mean you can't try!" Eli interrupted with her usual cheerfulness and Nico just couldn't resist her sweetness.

"... One try, ok?" All three siblings cheered and started running towards the nearest stall and Eli laughed, pulling Nico with her to follow them. The blonde smiled at her. The Raven smiled back, taking comfort in their joined hands. She pulled a small amount of money she had brought with her out of her pocket and gave some to her siblings who accepted it with another cheer before playing.

Eli watched them with happiness, though her eyes slowly turned to the stall beside it which was covered in stuffed animals of all sorts in a rainbow of colours. Her eyes were drawn to a certain one: a black teddy bear that had blue paws and muzzle and ruby red eyes. It was so cute!

Nico turned to find Eli gone and she panicked for a slight minute before she found the quarter Russian staring at a teddy bear on a nearby stall with fascination and adoration. Her heart melted at the sight and she made her way over.

"Hey, Eli."

"Ah! Nico, you surprised me!" The blonde laughed before turning her attention back to the bear. Nico couldn't help feeling a little...jealous. Jealous? Over a stuffed toy? But why?! She didn't like Eli like that...or did she? She had been feeling weird all night. But why now of all times?

"Hey, Eli..." The blonde looked up again and Nico decided in that moment what she was going to do. "Do you want that bear?"

"Eh? Oh, no, no, it was just cute that's all and it caught my eye-"

"I'll win it for you, if you want."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah." Nico moved forward and pulled money out of her pocket which she then gave to the staff member that had been watching them for the past few minutes. Eli opened her mouth to protest but the game had already started. The Raven simply winked at the other girl. "I just happen to be an expert at these kinds of things."

...

The group of five walked towards the viewing areas fifteen minutes later with less than ten to go until the year was over. Eli clutched a black teddy bear with blue paws and muzzle and red eyes to her chest whilst the triplets had three miniature dolls in their grasp.

"Look! That looks like a good spot; let's go there!" Cocoa exclaimed, pointing to a quiet spot which surprisingly wasn't claimed yet. Nico nodded, gesturing for her siblings to lead the way, which they did. She walked a little slower with Eli.

"Thanks for the bear, Nico. He's really cute." The blonde hugged him a little tighter to emphasise her point. Nico nodded with a smile.

"You wanted it, so I got it for you."

By now they had reached the spot and they all say down on the grass, the older girls hiding at the back. Eli looked slightly upset as she replied.

"But I didn't get anything for you! And you've done so much for me tonight by inviting me to something new and complimenting me and buying me treats and I can't thank you enough!" The two girls looked at each other, one stunned and the other honest.

"Eli..." A light bulb seemed to spark in the blonde's mind as she suddenly reached behind her and started undoing the clasp on her necklace. She finished and held it out to Nico. "Here."

"Wha...?"

"It's yours. You spoiled me tonight, so the least I can do is give you something in return."

"But it's yours..."

"Yours. Now turn round." Nico obliged hesitantly and Eli did up the clasp. "There! It looks great!" Nico looked down at the necklace, fingering it lightly and a smile came to her face.

"Thanks, Eli."

"No, thank you Nico." And with that, the blonde moved forward and lightly kissed the Raven on the cheek. Nico was shocked as Eli leaned backwards again. The two were stunned into silence again as Nico now couldn't think straight. Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears.

"Wha..?"

"You've heard about the tradition of a New Years kiss, right? Well.. I though you..." Eli suddenly looked embarrassed as a bright pink colour overtook her face and she tucked loose strands behind her ears to distract herself. Nico simply stared. A New Years kiss...? She glanced at her watch. But it wasn't New Years yet...

She looked at the blonde with determined eyes and the second the clock struck, she darted forward. Her lips connected with Eli's just as the first of the fireworks went off. The sky exploded in shades of red, blue and yellow as Nico's arms went slowly around Eli's neck who in turn put hers around the petite girl's waist. The triplets sat in front of them, not even noticing what was going on behind them.

The clock continued to strike as a chorus of 'Happy New Year' echoed around the festival area, and Eli deepened the kiss. Electricity sparked through both of them and they had never felt more alive.

They wanted to keep going but alas air was a need, so they broke apart and pulled back for space. Nico panted quietly as Eli touched her lips softly, as if making sure that was all real. Nico hoped it was or else she'd be angry when she woke up.

She watched as Eli leaned forward again, but instead of connecting their lips, she whispered in the raven's ear.

"Happy New Year, Nico."

The petite girl smiled. "Happy New Year, Eli."

And as they sat to watch the rest of the fireworks displays, their hands found each other on the grass and they intertwined gently. Sapphire and Ruby eyes stared up at the glowing sky that welcomed the New Year with joy and new found love.

And Nico had a feeling this year was going to be amazing.


	17. UmixRin

A/N: Happy New Year again everyone! This will be my first update of 2016, and honestly, it's exciting me more than it actually should. Oh well, let me have my moment! I hope you've all had a good start to the year already!

I was actually meant to upload this on Hanayo-chan's birthday but I found this pairing a little hard to write for L I've written something now at least.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoHono (Next)

KotoMaki

ArisaUmi

RinPana

HonoNico

NozoUmi

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

Ok, I better get on with it. I hope you enjoy this UmiRin as it took me ages to come up with an idea so R&amp;R!

…

Title: Fluffy Surprise

Pairing: UmiRin

Rating: K+

…

The desire of wanting a pet was getting stronger and stronger every passing day. Rin Hoshizora just loved the thought of having something cute and furry to sleep with and having a small companion or even the idea that she would be needed by this animal. It filled her with a pleasant, loving feeling and she just wanted something other than her stuffed toy cat to cuddle.

Rin was well known for her love of animals, especially cats, mostly through her daily actions at university and outside of it. She mostly acted like a cat by always saying 'nya' after a sentence or curling her hands into fists so that they looked like cat paws beside her head. It was rather cute, so people around her didn't comment on it like expected.

"Umi-chan!" The orange haired girl called as she approached her girlfriend who was sitting in the lounge of their shared house. The bluenette looked up upon her name being called, setting the rather large book she had been reading to the side for the moment so she could listen to what Rin had to say.

"What is it, Rin?"

The younger girl's face suddenly welcomed the most ear-splitting grin Umi had ever seen, and the bluenette couldn't help but feel a sense of dread come over her because whenever Rin grinned like this, it meant trouble.

"I think we should get a cat!" Umi's eyes widened at Rin's exclamation and she couldn't help but show her shock on her face.

"What?! A cat?!"

"Yeah! Rin thinks getting a cat's a good idea!"

"No, Rin, we're not getting a cat."

"Eh? Why not?"

Umi sighed, picking up her book from the armrest of the cream coloured sofa to continue reading, openly showing her disinterest in the conversation. "Rin, you do know that having a cat is a big responsibility, right? You can barely keep up with your homework, let alone look after an animal!" And with that, the bluenette went back to reading.

Rin pouted from the lounge door and crossing her arms, she walked towards the sofa and plopped down on it next to Umi. Her girlfriend didn't so much as look up in the slightest and that only added to the orange haired girl's frustration. But she didn't say anything, the excuse being that she didn't want to argue. That, and mad Umi was truly frightening.

So she simply stared ahead at the blank TV screen, the pout still present on her face and her arms crossed. Umi still didn't look up from her book.

…

"C'mon, get your jacket, we're out of milk." Umi said, zipping up her own jacket and securing the buckles on her shoes. She had finally put down her book again, but not another comment about cats was made, much to Rin's disappointment.

Though trying best not to start an argument as she detested them, the cat lover followed Umi out of the lounge and grabbed her jacket from the peg stand in the hallway before reaching for her favourite pair of trainers. Once the laces had been tied in messy bows, Umi shaking her head in disbelief at them like usual, the couple left the house and headed to the car that was parked in the driveway.

As Rin opened the door and buckled herself into the passenger seat, a thought crossed her mind. Hadn't they bought two cartons of milk just at the start of the week? So they shouldn't be out already. In fact, Rin knew for a fact that they still had plenty of milk as she had seen an unopened carton this morning when she was having breakfast.

So where was Umi taking them?

The bluenette started the car as soon as her seatbelt was done, and after she had checked Rin's, and they set off towards their destination. Wherever it was. Rin didn't ask, as it might have been a mistake Umi had made earlier. She could have meant something else when she said milk and hadn't caught on. Though it wasn't normal for the older girl to make mistakes like that…

Oh well, Rin just went with it.

However, as Umi was driving, Rin noticed that they passed by the store and it didn't look as if the bluenette was making any attempts to turn around and correct herself.

"Um, Umi-chan… We passed the store?" The orange haired girl said, pointing out of the window back towards the store that was slowly getting out of sight. Umi simply gave a small smile and reached over slowly to pat Rin's hand that was in the girl's lap.

"Don't worry about it," She said softly, retracting her hand and bringing it back to the steering wheel. She hoped Rin hadn't figured out her plan already, as some people might disagree with her and a long time ago she would have been disagreeing as well, but Rin was actually smarter than she looked and was incredibly underestimated due to her childish characteristics. Apparently it bothered some people and Umi had to admit that Rin could still get on her nerves sometimes, but her childish personality made the bluenette love her all the more.

So with that thought in mind, the older girl pulled the car into a parking lot where a small pet store stood at the other side of it. Briefly looking beside her, she could already see the excitement in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Umi-chan… We didn't have to come here…"

Umi just smiled and pulled the keys out of the ignition, turning to the other girl. "No, no, I thought it'd be fun to go out for a bit and look at all the cute pets." She unbuckled her seatbelt. "Unless you don't want to…"

"No, of course Rin wants to!" The orange haired girl suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt extremely quickly and was out of the car before Umi could say anything else. The bluenette shook her head and followed the younger girl towards the building across the road.

They were greeted with the sound of dogs barking and birds chirping, and it filled them both with happiness at the sounds. Rin went straight to the cats section, Umi following behind with a smile on her face.

"Aww, Umi-chan, look at that one!" Rin ran over to the pen, excitedly pointing to a snowy white cat with ginger patches. The bluenette obliged and amber eyes followed Rin's finger to the cat that had caught her eye so badly. "Look, she's so cute! Can we get her, Umi-chan? Please!"

"No, Rin. We're simply here to look at the pets, not get one."

"But, Umi-chan! Look at her! How can you say no to that fluff?!" The younger girl exclaimed, trying to budge her girlfriend on the matter about getting a pet, but failing. Umi was a pro at this now, especially after dealing with her childhood friend Honoka Kousaka all her life. Honoka and Rin may be different, but they were alike in very many ways.

The couple walked out of the pet store in silence and with empty hands. Rin's pout was worse now than it had been at their house earlier, disappointment clearly showing on her face. That cat had been so adorable, and now she wanted a cat extra bad! Was Umi that cruel?

The car ride back to their house was agonizingly long and full of silence.

The second they got home and had taken off their jackets and shoes, Rin spoke. She wanted an explanation from Umi, and she was going to get it. "Why did you even take me there if we didn't buy anything?" She asked, eyes glazing over with sadness and Umi looked worried for a few moments as if Rin was actually going to start crying in their hallway.

"I-I told you; I thought it would be nice to go out for a bit and look at the pets." Umi said, heading into the lounge. Rin stared after her, mixed emotions running through her. How could Umi just walk away like that? Couldn't she see that Rin was serious?

There was no reason why they couldn't get a cat. They had a house, not an apartment so there was no one to tell them they couldn't get one and neither of them were allergic so what was the problem?

"Rin, you do know that having a cat is a big responsibility, right?"

Yes, having a pet was a big responsibility, but it was nothing Rin couldn't handle! In fact, maybe having a pet would teach her to take more responsibility!

The orange haired girl looked towards the lounge where she was sure Umi was sitting back on the sofa reading her book again like before they left. It was no use; Umi just wouldn't budge.

So with that thought in mind, Rin retreated to their bedroom for the night.

…

The next morning Umi woke up to see that the space in bed beside her was empty. Confused, as Rin usually always slept in late, the bluenette organised herself and headed to the lounge where she discovered her girlfriend watching TV. Though it looked like she was barely paying attention to the show that was on, and rather something else was on her mind.

"Good morning," Umi said, trying to get the other girl's attention. She was ignored. Umi knew that Rin was still pretty upset about yesterday; her girlfriend hadn't spoken a word to her ever since they got back from the pet store. The bluenette knew that she had been rather harsh about the cat matter and what she had done had been rather cruel, but that was all about to change as her plan wasn't finished just yet.

Without a word, the older girl left the lounge, put on her jacket and shoes before heading to the door, grabbing the car keys from the small bowl on the table in the hallway and exiting the house.

Rin looked up as she heard the front door close and she couldn't help but wonder where her girlfriend was going. But she wasn't going to text her. No, she wasn't ready to forgive Umi just yet.

…

Umi had been gone for a quite a while now and Rin couldn't help but feel worried. The urge to call or text her was getting troublesome and leaving the phone alone was harder than she had ever thought it would be.

Honestly, Rin felt bad for getting mad at Umi. Yes, the bluenette kind of deserved it for yesterday's events, but now she couldn't care less. She just wanted Umi home with her. She felt as if something bad was going to happen or had already happened, and she wanted to text so badly.

But that would have to wait as she had made plans for lunch with two of her friends from high school, and Rin wasn't one to disappoint.

…

It was just getting dark outside when Rin finally arrived back at the house. She waved at Honoka and Hanayo as she walked up to the door, key in hand. The two inside the car waved back, and the orange haired girl couldn't help but notice when the ginger gave a thumbs up towards the window where out of the corner of her eye she could see Umi standing who gave a thumbs up back.

Umi, giving a thumbs up? And to Honoka of all people? Now she was confused.

Not wasting any more time, Rin darted towards the front door and started to unlock it, only to be stopped when the door opened by itself. She looked up into warm amber eyes and she couldn't help but smile a little as Umi held the door open for her to enter. The two exchanged looks before entering the house, and they could hear the sounds of a car speeding off, signalling that Honoka and Hanayo had left.

Rin removed her shoes and jacket before looking at her girlfriend who had still not said a word to her. What was going on?

Instead of talking, Umi just gestured to the lounge, her smile growing. Now Rin was more confused than ever. But not wanting to disappoint, she walked into the lounge.

"Oh my gosh, nya!" It was only a few moments later that she shot back out, clutching a large brown box with the cat from yesterday at the pet store in it. "Umi-chan!"

"Well, you said you wanted her… So I got her for you." Umi smiled softly at seeing her girlfriend so happy. "And…" Rin looked up, and Umi blushed. "I-I kind of liked her too…"

"Aw, Umi-chan!" Rin gently placed the box down on the floor and glomped the bluenette as hard as possible with a wide smile on her face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"R-Rin…" Umi squirmed in the younger girl's grip, but she smiled all the same. "Y-You're welcome." Slowly, she moved her trapped arms in the hug to around Rin to return it.

Her girlfriend may be a pest at times, and it may annoy her at first, but Umi really did prefer to make Rin happy and that's what she wanted to continue doing for years to come.


	18. NozomixHonoka

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back with a Valentines NozoHono update! It's still not too late for Valentines stuff to still be floating around is it? Oh well. I meant to upload nearer the actual date but stuff held me back. I was at a confidence building camp for a week with no internet access, I had at two tests at school along with other school stuff like homework and I had a little depression issue so updating this was the last thing on my mind.

But I'm back now! I hope you all forgive me with this oneshot!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoUmi (Next: I'm moving this one forward as I have an idea for this and I find it easier to write for the ones I have ideas for first rather than force myself to write. Apologies again for order change)  
KotoMaki  
ArisaUmi  
RinPana  
HonoNico  
NicoRin  
NozoMaki  
KotoUmi  
HonoRin

I'm done talking now guys! Enjoy this late but sweet Valentines oneshot as a Valentines gift from me!

Title: Sweet Valentine  
Rating: K+  
Pairing: NozoHono  
...

She appeared at the door a little after noon, with a bright smile on her face and her sapphire eyes twinkling as she rang the doorbell installed on the stone wall beside her. She heard it ring through the apartment she was standing in front of, and the door opened a moment later to reveal her girlfriend.

"Ah, Honoka-chan! I was wondering when you'd get here." Nozomi Tojo exclaimed.

"Hehe... I woke up late this morning so..." Honoka Kousaka replied with a sheepish grin as her hand scratched the back of her exposed neck. Nozomi simply chuckled and opened the door wider, gesturing for the ginger to come in.

"That's so like you, Honoka-chan." The third year said as Honoka walked by and kissed her on the cheek. The younger girl went bright red in the face, almost as red as their friend Maki Nishikino's hair, and Nozomi giggled.

The purple haired girl started to lead the way to the living room shortly after closing the front door, and Honoka quickly slipped off her shoes to follow her. She entered the living room area and spotted Nozomi was already seated on one of her purple sofas that took up most of the room. Whilst making her way towards her, the ginger girl couldn't help but look around in fascination. She had been in this apartment many times-been in this very room many times-but she could never really get over the beauty of it. Every time she walked in here, it was like the first time all over again.

The walls were a pretty cream color and went well with the two purple sofas and rug. Two also cream cabinets stood on either side of the large, glowing fireplace and held many colorful trinkets from across the world. Framed photos of a younger Nozomi and her parents lined the left side of the wall and on the right were framed photos of an older Nozomi with all of her friends from Muse. And on the cream coffee table in front of the sofa Nozomi was sat on, stood a single frame that contained a picture of her and Honoka hugging.

It had been taken just after the first Love Live when the two had discovered their feelings for each other and were caught by Hanayo Koizumi kissing backstage. They were both shocked to say the least and they asked the young brunette to stay silent for a while until they were ready to tell everyone else. Hanayo had agreed to this, under the condition that she was allowed to take one photo as both a 'congratulations!' and a fact that she was the first to know. It was agreed, and it turned out to be their favorite photo of them together. In fact, Honoka had the exact same one sitting on the small table in her room.

"Hey, Honoka-chan, if you don't hurry up, I might just reconsider giving you your Valentines gift..."

"Eh?" Of course, upon the words 'Valentines' and 'present', Honoka's head shot back to her girlfriend who was smirking whilst fingering the lilac strap of the bright orange bag that sat beside her. The mere sight of it sent the ginger over to where Nozomi was sitting and she plopped down on the sofa, sheepishly grinning. The older girl simply laughed and petted her on the head before handing over the bag.

Honoka took it carefully, as if afraid to damage Nozomi's hard work, and she sat it on her lap before looking up at the smiling third year.

"Go on," She prompted, and Honoka started to peel off the sellotape that guarded the bag's goods. She couldn't wait to see what Nozomi had gotten her. It was their first Valentines Day together, and they both wanted it to be as special as possible. As it was tradition, the two had talked over who would receive on Valentines Day, and who would receive on White Day. They had reached the decision that Honoka would be receiving on Valentines Day, and Nozomi would be White Day. Honoka had had her doubts about if Nozomi was actually ok with the roles going that way, but the older girl had said she was fine and it didn't matter what order it went as they would both be spoiled either way.

"Come on, Honoka-chan, I want to see if you like it." Nozomi smiled from the side. "You never take this long; are you that nervous about what I've gotten you?" A smirk made its way to the usually playfully girl's lips and Honoka smiled sheepishly as her fingers once again went to peel off the rest of the sellotape.  
Upon opening the bag, the ginger saw that there were two gifts inside, both wrapped in cute orange paper with tiny strawberry designs. They looked so cute, and it made Honoka happy that Nozomi had remembered her favorite fruit and had even found wrapping paper with her favorite color and fruit on it! It was honestly the best wrapping paper she'd ever seen in her life.

The ginger reached into the bag and took both presents out before laying them on her lap. She placed the bag down on the floor at her feet, remembering that there was an enveloped card at the bottom of it which she would open later. Honoka had always been a 'presents first, cards letter' type of person. It seemed like the better thing to do would be open the card first, but Honoka had a feeling that Nozomi's card would be special and Honoka liked to save special things for last.

Her hands reached for the wrapped gift closest to her, the smaller one, but was stopped when Nozomi suddenly and quickly grabbed her hand and pulled it away gently.

"Nozomi-chan?"

"Hehe... There's a certain order I want you to open them in..." A blush overtook the older girl's face and Honoka could hardly contain the feelings she felt at the usual confident girl's sudden shyness and how adorable she looked right now. She just wanted to hug and kiss her right there.

"Here," The pigtailed third year tapped the largest present on her lover's lap with a sheepish smile. "Open this one first." The younger girl of the two obliged and brought the large present towards her so she could start the unwrapping process. It could take a while considering how much Sellotape Nozomi had put on just the bag alone.

The purple haired girl herself sat quietly and watched her younger lover tear apart the paper she had spent ages looking for the previous day, but she wasn't upset. In fact, she was rather eager to see what Honoka thought of the presents she'd bought her.

Nozomi had really tried her hardest as it was their first Valentine's Day together and she figured that even though every day that was to come was a gift in itself, this day should be extra special. Honoka herself was extra special to Nozomi, and she was sure she wasn't the only one who thought so. The ginger had an aura, a charisma, about her that was warm, kind and friendly which drew people in and helped them out of their shells little by little and she displayed nothing but happiness to everyone she met. It was amazing that someone like that actually existed in the world, let alone it being someone that she knew and was in love with and loved by.

It made Nozomi feel like the luckiest person alive.

"Oh!" A gasp pulled the third year out of her thoughts and she looked beside her to find Honoka had finished unwrapping the first present and was now holding the item in her outstretched hands. It was a medium sized box filled with various trinkets, sticker packs and photos from ever since Muse was started. Nozomi smiled as the second year lifted things out of the box ranging from a photo of her and her best friends Umi and Kotori, to a sticker pack of different types of sweets and the joy on the younger girl's face was clear as she put the things back in the box carefully then latched onto the other girl, hugging her tightly. "Oh, Nozomi-chan! Thank you!"

The pigtailed girl giggled at the energy of her lover. "Hehe, Honoka-chan... Come on, you've got other things to open. If you go this slow, we'll be here all day and we won't have time for dinner later."

At the mention of food, the ginger shot back and immediately reached for the next gift, eager to get through them now. Nozomi laughed again at her girlfriend's sudden change in attitude, but she only found it utterly adorable.

The last present was definitely smaller than the previous one, and it was rather box shaped as well which was probably a give-away already as to what it was. But Honoka was known for being a little dense.

The ginger had unwrapped this present faster than the last one and already had the object out, sitting on her now unoccupied lap. The box was black and had a gold outline which made it look special and expensive and for a second Honoka panicked. She hated thinking that Nozomi could have spent lots of money on her, just for a simple holiday like Valentines Day when the money could be going to better uses but her thoughts were cut short when Nozomi tapped her shoulder lovingly.

"Don't worry, Honoka-chan." She said simply and gestured for the younger of the two to continue opening the box. Honoka did so, fingers lifting the lid ever so slowly until it was wide open, revealing the contents inside. And what the ginger saw made her heart swell with both gratitude and love.

A sparkling orange heart on a silver chain, complete with the tiniest hint of lilac inside the stone lay draped on a black velvet cushion that said 'Honoka' on it. It looked so undeniably beautiful and Honoka was at a loss for words as her mouth dropped open in both shock and awe. She gently picked up the necklace with trembling fingers to get a better look.

"Do you want to try it on?" Nozomi asked with a smile. Honoka turned towards her, the necklace held carefully by both hands to provide more safety. She was after all known for the clumsy side of her personality by close friends.

"Nozomi-chan... Y-You bought this, for me?" Honoka stuttered, still in awe at the fact that her girlfriend would buy something that looked so expensive for her.

"Hehe. I can spoil my cute and deserving girlfriend, can't I?" The third year replied playfully with a wink. "I saw it in the jewellers on my way past and thought of you right away. I knew I had to get it for you. So I did. I hope you like it."

"Like it..." Honoka's sapphire eyes drifted down to the gift again then shot back up to gaze into Nozomi's turquoise ones. "I love it!"

"Hehe! That's good then!" Nozomi moved forward to take it from the other girl in favor of putting it on her. Honoka lifted up her hair so Nozomi had a better chance of seeing the clasp and securing the necklace properly, and shortly she heard a 'click', signalling that Nozomi had succeeded in clasping it right.

The purple haired girl moved backwards on the sofa to admire the ginger further, her eyes immediately falling to the stone which sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the windows of the apartment and in turn made the younger girl's eyes sparkle as well in an even brighter blue color than usual. It was breaktaking; Honoka was breathtaking. Her silky ginger hair, part of it held up in a side ponytail was adorable, her eyes were absolutely beautiful, her skin was milky and flawless and her personality was cute and amazing. Nozomi truly was blessed with the greatest gift of all. She didn't care what she got in return for White Day; she already had enough to keep her happy.

"Thanks again, Nozomi-chan!" Honoka suddenly leapt forward again and captured her girlfriend in another tight hug, the necklace crushed against her chest. Small arms wrapped around the older girl. "I love you!"

Nozomi giggled and returned the hug, melting into Honoka's sweet embrace that she was so lucky to be given every day. "Happy Valentines Day, Honoka-chan. I love you too."


	19. NozomixUmi

A/N: Hey everyone, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm so sorry for the late update; there were a few issues I had to take care of, but it's fine now. It took a while to produce but I'm really happy with this one shot, and I hope you'll all be happy with it as well!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

KotoMaki (Next)

ArisaUmi

RinPana

HonoNico

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

Thats all from me now guys! Enjoy!

...

Title: Armoured Love

Pairing: NozoUmi

Rating: T

...

It had been a long day. Her booted feet dragged through the dirt and clumpy sand, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion, fatigue and pain. The sun shone down on her slow walking form, making it all that much harder to carry on as the heat started getting to her under the heavy metal armour that adorned her body, irritating the wounds she had previously gained. They started to throb and sting, making her grind her teeth and curse. God, she should have been more careful. Previous beads of sweat that had built up on her forehead shed and rolled down her face as new beads formed shortly after. She would have taken off her armour and helmet when she started her journey if she knew this would have happened, but she decided to keep it on out of fear that her enemies would discover her again. She could not take that risk.

She started to feel slightly dizzy (maybe it was the blood loss), and from previous experiences, it wouldn't be good to pass out in the middle of nowhere. Memories of waking up in a stranger's house almost a year ago overtook her mind, and she shivered. That hasn't been pleasant in the slightest because even though the person had taken her in, they had different intentions that taking care of her once her armour had been removed along with her weapons.

She shook her head, trying to erase the memory temporarily from her mind so she could continue on, her midnight blue hair trapped within a ponytail freeing itself from the armour in favour of flopping over her shoulder inside her helmet. She sighed heavily.

It must have been another ten minutes of walking before she saw it. Her Amber eyes lit up with curiosity upon her discovery, but alas she decided not to ponder for too long as if she stayed any longer in this sun, she would surely collapse. So taking small, painful steps, Umi made her way towards the small village a few yards away.

...

She hummed softly, the tune playing on her lips and the wind whistled along as she continued to set up her stall. The bright red apples glistened in the strong sunlight and she smiled. She reached down into the small basket at her bare feet to collect the last few apples that remained in it, and she set them up just like the rest. Her purple braided haired fell over her shoulder as she picked up the last one and placed it on the table. At last, she was done. It was far too hot to be outside today, even though it was usually warm in the summer months for this little village.

She sighed and bent down to pick up her basket to move it behind the table so it wasn't in the way, her white sundress rustling in the gentle breeze. It certainly was peaceful today, despite it being hot, and the young woman smiled again. She had a feeling today would be a good day.

However, she had just picked up her basket to move behind the stall when she heard footsteps approaching her. Assuming it was an early customer, she looked up with a smile, ready to serve the person, only to look up just in time to witness the person stagger and collapse on the hard ground right in front of her, a clanking sound echoing through the quiet village.

"Oh my goodness!" She gasped, rushing towards the still figure and kneeling down to get a closer look, the bottom of her dress dirtying instantly. She didn't know where to start upon scanning over all the pieces of armour adorning the body, but she eventually reached the conclusion that it would be better to take the person into their house first to check over possible injuries and test for heat stroke. It was possible in this dangerous sun.

'Now, how do I get you inside...?' She wasn't stupid; she knew she wouldn't be able to lift this person with all this armour on, but she couldn't just take it off. What if they had nothing else on underneath or something like that? And it would be awkward to explain if the person woke up half way through being undressed.

Sighing again, she left the person's side and unlocked her door before returning, this time heaving the heavy body into her arms with great difficulty and slowly heading towards the door. Once she was safely inside, having her arms full, Nozomi slammed the door closed with her foot. Ok, maybe this day wasn't going to be so good after all.

...

She laid the figure on the small sofa in her living room gently once she was inside, and Nozomi spent the next minute or so trying to decide what to do. She had never taken in a stranger before and knew there could be consequences in doing so; what if this person was a criminal or wanted to steal from her or worse, even kill her? She had no way to be sure until the person awakened, and she had no idea of when that would happen. It could be hours before she got her answers.

But whatever conclusion she would reach in the end, she put it aside in favour of getting to helping the stranger on her sofa. Whoever it was, definitely looked like they needed help, and the purple haired woman was never one to turn down people in need. It was just part of who she was, and sometimes that could be a bad thing. Memories of the past came back to her mind, and she did her best to push them away once more before the image of a ponytailed blonde haunted her dreams again.

Rubbing her chin, Nozomi tried to think of where to start. 'Maybe I should start wth taking off the armour...' She didn't really want to, but it couldn't be helped in this situation. Moving towards the unconscious figure, the woman bit her lip. 'It would be best to start with the helmet, I guess.' Reaching slowly for the metal helmet, she grasped it gently with two hands before pulling it off the stranger's head, revealing the most beautiful sight Nozomi had ever seen. Midnight blue hair spilled out and covered a pale face that had calmly closed eyes, rosebud lips and a tiny nose that twitched every now and then. Her heart stopped in her chest at the sight of this person who she was pretty sure was the most beautiful person she had ever seen, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. 'I-It's a she...'

It was wrong to just assume, but Nozomi had been sure that it would be a male under the heavy armour, not a girl. Not that it bothered her that it wasn't a male. She honestly didn't care.

With the helmet off, the braided girl decided to take off the rest of the armour, hoping there was something underneath it. She hasn't a clue as to how to take it off as she had never encountered anybody that wore it before, but she wasn't the type to back away from new experiences. She kneeled down, starting with the boots which she deemed easy, she spent a good five minutes unbuckling them, cursing the many complicated buckles. Honestly, why did these boots need ten buckles? Was this girl that worried about losing her footwear? In fact, could Nozomi even call her a girl? She looked around Nozomi's age, if not a little younger. Moving on, she struggled with the armour adorning the legs, and once removed, a pair of torn leggings were revealed along with dry blood and bruises and cuts. It made the woman gasp in shock at the state of them and the injuries. Shakily moving on, she prayed there was nothing worse than that. But alas, once she removed the top parts, she was greeted with an even worse sight. A large bloody gash covered the blue haired woman's left side, blood still spilling from it and dripping onto the wooden floor.

Nozomi's hands flew to her mouth to hide her horrified gasp, but she could not hide the horror and fear in her eyes. This was horrible! No wonder she had passed out! 'Who could have done this...?' If it wasn't for the fact that this stranger could die on her sofa in minutes, the villager was certain she could have just kneeled there for ages staring in horror and shock at the large wound in her side. But that was not what she wanted, so instead she shot up from her place on the floor and hurried to the kitchen where the medical kit was stored under the sink. Scrambling, shaking hands grabbed the box and she quickly rushed back to the unconscious patient. Hurriedly opening the box, the braided woman pulled out a needle and thread along with cleaning alcohol and a cloth.

Now she had all the items needed, but she knew she couldn't do this yet. She wasn't sure that the woman on the sofa would stay unconscious for the stitching and cleaning, and she didn't want her to wake up half way through as it could knock her off and she could make an even worse mess of her side which would make it harder for both of them. She bit her lip as she gingerly fingered the bottle of cleaning alcohol and the cloth. That meant she would have to wake her up, didn't it?

Nozomi sighed, hoping the reaction wouldn't be bad and taking a breath, she started to shake the woman's shoulder. If all else failed, she'd have to do the unthinkable; touch the wound.

...

She came to with a pained gasp, amber eyes shooting open to meet a plain white ceiling. The sudden feeling of a soft surface beneath became known as well as the calming warmth. But the peace didn't last as it only took her a moment to realise that her armour was missing, and upon blinking her daze away, she also realised that she was no longer outside but rather inside. This caused her to panic and she shot forward, assuming the worst.

"Wait, Miss! Please don't move!" A voice made its way to her ears and Umi turned to where it was coming from to meet eyes with a young woman kneeling at her side, concerned eyes staring back at her.

"W-What-?"

"You're badly injured, and I need to stitch it up immediately. The gauze won't hold forever, and I haven't cleaned it yet." The woman said. Umi just continued to stare. Who was this-this beautiful person? Light purple hair tied in a simple braid fell onto her shoulder and cupped her face that held large, concerned turquoise eyes and trembling pink lips. Overall, the bluenette was overwhelmed by the beauty of who had taken her in. But there were more important matters at hand right now.

"W-Where am I?" Umi asked, her voice rough with dehydration, eyes moving around the room. The other woman smiled at her, a simple radiant smile that made the sudden stinging pain in her side subside momentarily.

"You are in my house." The purple haired villager replied. "You collapsed in front of my stall and I couldn't just leave you there, especially when it's clear now that you need help. So I took you in and I was about to stitch up your wound, but I didn't want to wake you half way through so I decided to wake you before." Umi nodded slowly, thankful for the explanation. The braided woman fingered a plastic bottle and a white cloth in both hands, looking at the bluenette intently. Umi felt herself freeze under the turquoise gaze and she unconsciously clasped her hands. She didn't know that she could trust this woman yet, but so far nothing bad had happened so she decided to let her stitch her wound up.

"W-Who are you?" Was Umi's next question. The other woman on the floor smiled at her, all too happy to share her name.

"Nozomi Tojo."

Umi nodded. What a beautiful name to match a beautiful face. "Then thank you, Nozomi Tojo."

"Just Nozomi is fine. Let me get you a glass of water, Miss." The villager suddenly said, placing both items on the floor before heading to a nearby room which Umi assumed was the kitchen. She watched her go with questioning eyes. This woman was indeed strange, taking in some stranger in armour and baring weapons nonetheless! She eyed the equipment lying on the floor in a corner and relaxed a little. At least it was there if she needed it. But looking back at the retreating woman, something told her she wouldn't need it.

A minute or so later, the braided woman returned and handed a tall glass of water to her. "Here you are, Miss." Umi nodded her thanks, taking a thankful sip. She cast her eyes down to where Nozomi was picking up the medical equipment once more to finally begin stitching the wound and she thought about telling the woman her name. Surely she wasn't in contact with her enemies, what with the village being this far out... Taking another sip as the gauze was unwrapped, Umi sighed, deciding to keep her mouth shut. She just couldn't take the chance.

...

Nozomi watched the blue haired woman on the sofa sip her drink slowly, her Amber eyes glued to the contents of the glass, as if she was avoiding Nozomi's gaze which was to be expected between strangers. However, her eyes held mistrust and Nozomi had no clue on how to fix it. Of course she couldn't expect someone to be so trusting to start with, but she wished she would at least open up a little and talk to her. The silence was beginning to get awkward and unbearable.

"So... What were you doing all the way out here?" The braided woman spoke as she stitched the wound, trying her best to be careful. The bluenette hissed in pain, her eyes squeezing shut, but she was quick to compose herself to answer the question.

"I'd rather not say, if that's all right." She replied. Nozomi was taken aback by the answer, and it must have shown on her face and in her eyes as the other woman rushed to correct herself. "I-I'm sorry, it's just rather classified and I'd prefer to keep my identity hidden for now."

"So that's why you won't tell me your name?" Nozomi asked. The bluenette nodded.

"I would like to, but I can't be sure if you can be trusted. I'm sorry; you've taken me in and I'm being rude to you..."

"It's no problem," Nozomi said, pulling her needle throught the numbed skin once more, nearing the end of the dreadful and bloody task. "I get it that you don't want me to know as from the looks of it, someone's trying to hurt you." She registered Amber eyes widen at the assumption before they softened the slightest bit.

"Yes." She said quietly, squeezing her hands. "And I'd rather not be found until I've recovered." She didn't speak again and Nozomi took that as a signal to stop talking as well. It was clear that her patient wasn't fond of the subject and the braided woman couldn't imagine who this person was that would hurt such a beautiful young person this much. It was simply shocking.

The silence dragged on for another few minutes with only the sound of the needle bursting skin and the occasional sipping of water keeping them sane. Soon enough, Nozomi was done and she admired her handiwork on the smooth looking skin proudly.

"All done," She said as cheerfully as she could. The bluenette sat the glass down on the coffee table and glanced down, admiring the neat stitch work.

"Wow, good job." She remarked, smiling a little. Nozomi was glad to see her smile, the thought that she had a lovely smile crossing her mind. She glanced up at the bluenette who continued to softly smile at her. It filled her up with a strange emotion that she had felt once before, and she quickly directed her gaze elsewhere.

Unknown to her, her patient stared at her with concern and confusion, having seen her gaze's sudden change of direction, but she decided not to comment. It would be rude to point it out, especially when this woman had done so much for her.

"How about I fix you something to eat? I'll bet you're pretty hungry from being outside all morning." Nozomi said, and watched as the bluenette nodded.

"Yes, please. Thank you." Was the reply.

Nozomi nodded in approval and made her way towards the kitchen once more. She started raking through the cupboards, looking for something plausible for her unexpected guest. She had been planning to buy something later with the money earned from her stall-

Her stall! How could she forget?!

Moving quicker than she's ever moved before, she ran out of the kitchen, startling the reason she's forgotten in the first place, but she never hesitated as she ran out the front door to her stall.

A horrid sight greeted her once she was outside. Her stall table was completely empty and on top of that her basket had also been taken which left her with literally nothing apart from the actual wooden stall and stool. Turquoise eyes wide and starting to tear up, Nozomi never even registered the quiet voice from behind her.

"N-Nozomi? What's wrong? Why did you suddenly start running-?" Amber eyes fell upon the empty stall and she was silent. With no words from Nozomi either, silence passed between them, the wind whistling.

Until Nozomi spoke up.

"Let's go back inside, shall we? You really shouldn't be up and out yet with that wound." The braided woman turned to go back inside, but a pale arm prevented her from going any further.

"Eh-?"

"I'll find out who did this to you, Nozomi. I promise." The injured bluenette said firmly, a scary look on her face that had Nozomi herself freeze in shock. "It's my fault in the first place that you never kept an eye on your stall, and don't protest. I owe you for your hospitality and medical attention, and I would never not repay someone for doing such good deeds for me."

Nozomi was touched by the speech and she smiled with tears still in her eyes. "Thank you, Miss."

A smile was mirrored on the other woman's face as she spoke again. "It's Umi, Umi Sonoda."

...

And that's the end! Well, not really. I have more in mind for this oneshot to expand it and I'll do so if people request it or asks for the pairing again. I hope you liked it!

Review below if you'd like a continuation of this (I have mega good twists for this), or request other pairings and ideas! Thanks!


	20. KotorixMaki

A/N: Hi everyone! It's been a while, but I'm back! I'm glad a lot of you liked my NozoUmi, and I hope you like this one too! KotoMaki is surprisingly hard to write for as they barely have any scenes together so you don't get to see how they interact with one another as much as you would, say NozoEli, but I managed to make something eventually!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

ArisaUmi (Next)

RinPana

HonoNico

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

NozoUmi

Enjoy! XD

...

Title: Welcome To My Heart

Pairing: KotoMaki

Rating: K+

...

Maki Nishikino likes Kotori Minami. She has for a while, though she's still clueless as to when the attraction towards the girl started or why she was feeling like this. Every time the taupe haired girl would show up even slightly in her line of vision, the redhead would start getting a tingly feeling deep inside her chest, like butterflies whirling around like a tornado. It wasn't exactly a bad feeling, but it made Maki do uncharacteristic things such as stutter, blush (even more than usual) and make her lose her cool. That sweet face; the cute appearance; the soft droopy eyes; the smooth skin; the kind personality... She guessed it was hard not to like her.

But looking at Kotori, being around her, made her feel like a better person and as odd as it felt to think it or maybe whisper it to her reflection in the mirror as she'd never tell anyone, Maki wanted to be with her. It was so strange and new and the redhead was inexperienced in the field called love, but Kotori made her want to try it. And with the help of the worst or best person to ask, she was going to try.

...

"I'm inviting a friend over," Maki says to her mother one morning over the breakfast table. She looks up at her daughter, spoon resting in the carton of yoghurt as she puts her pen down momentarily to listen to her. Mr Nishikino is has already left for work at the hospital, and Mrs Nishikino was going to join him later.

"Oh, are you?" The woman asks, palm resting on her cheek as a smile crosses her lips. "Which one?" She doesn't have a problem with Maki inviting anyone over; in fact, she's tried many times to encourage her to invite people over or go out with her friends. A couple of months ago, she had been worried that her daughter had no friends at all as Maki never spoke about anyone or going out to do various activities with them and she had feared the worst. But then a miracle had happened. She still remembered the day that Maki had came home with a smile on her face, clutching a piece of paper with writing on it. She had also heard the redhead sing that night at the piano a few doors down from the lounge where she sat on the sofa smiling. It had been months since she had heard Maki sing, though she played the piano often, and hearing it combined had made Mrs Nishikino extremely happy. Her daughter's smile progressed throughout the week, and by the end of it, she had came home with the largest smile on her face and announced to her parents that she was an official member of her school's idol group Muse. It shocked Mrs Nishikino that Maki was actually for participating in school activities; she never had before, but who was she to stop what made her daughter smile so brightly?

"Kotori," Maki answers almost instantly and she curses herself as her mother's smile turns into a grin. Of course, naturally Mrs Nishikino already knows about Kotori, the girl who has perked up her daughter's interests and she can't admit that it was an accident to discover it. She had been waiting for Maki to come home after school around a week ago and had spotted her walking with another girl that looked older than her (and her thoughts had been confirmed when she noticed the bright green ribbon on her large chest) with long purple pigtails and mischievous turquoise eyes. Mrs Nishikino had never seen this girl before and had her suspicions when she realized that this third year was a part of her daughter's idol group which is why she looked familiar.

They had been deep in conversation and from her spot at the open lounge window, it was hard not to hear what it was about. She was just in time to hear the older girl telling Maki to invite someone named Kotori over and admit her feelings for her. The words shocked Mrs Nishikino for a good few moments as her daughter's face flushed as red as her hair and the pigtailed girl simply laughed. But Mrs Nishikino wasn't paying attention to that; instead she was thinking. Maki had feelings for someone? Another girl? Despite being shocked, she wasn't upset. Instead she was rather angry with herself. Why hasn't she noticed that her darling daughter was developing feelings for someone? Sure Maki was an expert at concealing her true feelings, but Mrs Nishikino should have been able to pick up on those feelings and even help her convey them. As much as she appreciated that someone was helping the redhead, she wanted to be the one to help.

"N-Nozomi!" Maki had cried in a stutter, and the other girl, Nozomi, had laughed again.

"Come on, Maki-chan. It's about time you told Kotori-chan your feelings. Wouldn't it be nice to get it off your chest, and you never know, she could feel the same way."

"I doubt it," The redhead had replied, and Mrs Nishikino felt her heart swell for her daughter. She wasn't even accepting any chance to express her feelings! "Thank you for walking me home, Nozomi. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she had walked away, leaving the third year to exit herself. Mrs Nishikino had watched her daughter approach the door and knew she should move to the sofa to at least pretend that she hadn't been eavesdropping but instead she stayed, her eyes resting on the purple haired girl that was slowly making her way down the neat little path to the gates. Once she had reached the gates, she turned back with a small smile on her face.

"Oh Maki-chan, if you keep hiding your feelings, you'll never be able to feel happy," It looked like she didn't mind if Maki heard her or not, but from the delayed opening of the front door, Mrs Nishikino was sure she had. She watched the third year retreat and only then did she move to greet her daughter that looked a little put out.

After that, Mrs Nishikino had definitely noticed the signs that Maki had feelings for this Kotori, and after doing some research as she had of course seen the girl but she couldn't tell out of the other eight girls in Muse which one she was, she learned that Kotori Minami was none other than Principal Minami's daughter. In other words, her best friend from high school. That fact alone gained part of her approval, as childish as it sounds.

Maki waits for her mother's approval, even though she never asked. She figures she doesn't need to ask; her mother has stated before that she'd actually prefer it if Maki brought home every single one of her friends one day rather than none at all. The woman across the table from her pauses as if she's actually considering it, before she lets out a chuckle at her daughter's facial expression. "I don't see why not," Maki unconsciously lets out a breath of relief that she never knew she was holding and she quickly finishes her own breakfast of toast and jam before excusing herself to head back upstairs, pulling her phone out of her pocket whilst closing the door, and Mrs Nishikino gazes lovingly after her with a smile on her face.

"Good luck, Maki-chan."

...

Maki's stomach is in knots by the time she's washed, dressed and waiting in the lounge by the window for Kotori an hour later. She fiddles with her grey skirt with trembling fingers, an uncomfortable sweat breaking out across her forehead. This is bad. She shouldn't be feeling this nervous. She fiddles with her grey skirt with trembling fingers that won't stop acting like its -15 degrees, and she sighs. God, she's got it bad.

She spies the topic of her current state walking towards the gates and Maki quickly moves from the window and presses the button to open them. Kotori looks shocked, but she enters with confidence and soon enough she's at the door and so is Maki and oh my god she's so not prepared for this. The redhead pulls open the door with a minor blush as she gestures for the taupe haired girl to enter and the other girl does so with a dazzling smile that makes Maki blind. Kotori looks just as cute as always; her baby pink dress hugging her hips gently like the delicate being she is, her cheeks slightly pink as well due to the walk and her hair is in its usual hard-to-pull-off hairstyle, and Maki can't stop herself from thinking the older girl is beautiful. God dammit Maki, get a hold of yourself. She momentarily thinks back to what Nozomi said a couple of days ago when she walked her home, but she pushes it away in favor of enjoying Kotori's company.

"Don't just stand there; come in," Maki steps aside to let the second year pass, only moments later wishing she had reworded her sentence, but Kotori isn't fazed. If anything, her smile brightens even more if possible and she calmly steps inside. Maki provides her a place to set down her shoes and hang up her jacket, before they head upstairs. Unaware of Mrs Nishikino watching them from within the kitchen. The woman smiles at the sight of the two and she glances down at her watch only to realize that's she's late to work. Panic settling in, the redhead grabs her belongings quickly, shrugs on her jacket and shoes before hurrying out of the house, shouting up to Maki of her departure along the way. She can practically hear her daughter rolling her lilac eyes, and she grins as she closes the door behind her.

"Good luck," She whispers again before she's gone.

...

"Just make yourself comfortable," Maki says as she holds her bedroom door open politely for Kotori. The taupe haired girl smiles radiantly, almost making the redhead let go of her hold on the door, but she just manages to hold on long enough for them both to enter. The look on the second year's face is of awe at her surroundings, taking in the beauty that is Maki's bedroom. It's large, neat and colored in light pinks, reds and the occasional white. It's not exactly crammed with furniture, but her four poster bed, desk and cabinets take up a lot of space. There are also two sets of doors on either end of the room, that Kotori moments later discovers lead to an ensuite and a walk in wardrobe.

"Oh my goodness, Maki-chan, your room is amazing!" The taupe haired girl exclaims, still stumbling around in wonder. Maki watches her with curious eyes, though deep down she's smiling at the girl's adorableness. It was as if she'd never seen a bedroom in a mansion before... Had she?

"I-It's not that amazing..." She stutters after a moment, a blush on her face and her gaze directed at the floor. Kotori chuckles slightly under her breath, and she doesn't say anything else, just continues to look around the room. A minute or so later she turns to the redhead with a smile.

"So, what do you want to do, Maki-chan?" The second year asks, and suddenly Maki's mind goes blank. She hadn't even thought of that. Sure, she had called Kotori earlier but she hadn't specified why she wanted her to come over; she had simply said when asked why that she didn't have a reason to hang out with friends. Kotori seemed to have bought it as she was here now, but Maki knew that the taupe haired girl wouldnt have refused her offer, just because she was too nice to do so. "Maki-chan?"

The first year was brought out of her thoughts by the girl herself. "Um..." She looked around the room and her eyes fell on her large television against the wall in front of her bed, and she had her answer. "How about we watch a movie?" Kotori luckily nodded eagerly in reply, and Maki nodded as well before gesturing to the door. "In that case, we can go down to the kitchen and get snacks, if you want." Kotori smiled.

"That'd be great, Maki-chan. Lead the way," And Maki did, silently freaking out over how close the older girl was to her going down the stairwell all the way to the kitchen and back.

...

Almost a half hour later the two are seated on Maki's bed, propped up against the many pillows and surprisingly stuffed toys that Kotori simply remarked as cute which prompted the redhead to blush for the next few minutes. They are surrounded by goodies that they found in the kitchen cupboards, and Kotori's hair is twirled up over her shoulders and around her bra straps to avoid getting strands of hair in the buttery popcorn made from the Nishikino's own popcorn machine. Kotori gasped at that too, and Maki happily let her press the button to produce the end product just to see that heartwarming look of pure joy. It was strange that someone could be so happy over just a few items that she viewed as part of her daily life, though of course she knew that not everyone had seen some of these things in houses before. She had always had these luxuries so it wasn't really new to her.

The previews are over soon enough, and the screen fades to black before the main menu pops up and Maki reaches for the remote to press 'play'. They couldn't decided what's movie to watch due to the large collection in the basement, so Maki picked one at random with her eyes closed and finger slowly drifting along the rows until Kotori who also had her eyes closed told her to stop. The redhead's finger landed on the worst possible choice: a horror movie. But there were no objections and Maki was in the mood to just get something on already so they went ahead with their random choice.

Something told her though, that it isn't going to last long as the look on Kotori's face during the start of the movie is next to priceless and Maki could feel the girl tense next to her when the music started to heighten in suspense. The next moment goes by in a flash as the second year jumps, causing Maki herself to jump, and the popcorn bowl is lucky to live through it. Kotori squeaks out a meek apology, and the redhead can only smile a little to comfort her. She doesn't mind horror movies, but the content of the film later on proves to be disturbing and even she's scared out of her wits. But not scared enough to ignore the fact that Kotori's practically on top of her, hands clinging to her own and her heartbeat quickens. She doesn't need to hide her blush as the room is pitch black, thankfully.

"M-Maki-c-chan," Kotori stammers, and Maki squeezes her hands to comfort her more. It does nothing as the older girl cries out again minutes later, hands leaving the redhead's in favour of covering her fear filled Amber eyes and she doesn't even peek out anymore to see what's happening. Maki instantly feels terrible for going with this choice of movie and she pauses it, the screen frozen on the image of a woman running down a dark hallway with a mysterious looming shadow chasing after her.

"We can turn it off, if you want?" She suggests, and Kotori peels her hands away from her eyes which connect with the image on the television, and she frantically nods in agreement. Maki didn't even need confirmation; she would have turned it off just at the sight of Kotori's terrified expression. She turns it off without a moment's hesitation and she reaches for a seller ate remote beside her which banishes the darkness and restores the lights. She turns to her senior who still looks horrified, and not thinking clearly, she moves closer to her and rubs her back. It's completely uncharacteristic of the usual tsundere, but Kotori obviously appreciates it as she snuggles into Maki who even though is shocked, accepts the gesture. The smell of vanilla wafts into her nose and Maki wants more; she's been craving it for weeks now, but she simply enjoys the moment she's engaged in before its lost. It's just so nice to finally have some time alone together, so nice to be able to spend time with the girl she's fallen in love with, and it makes her feel tingly again. Kotori places her head on Maki's chest and the girl herself wraps her arms slowly around the taupe haired one. She's so warm.

"Maki-chan," The redhead looks down at her name being called and Kotori smiles. "Thank you for inviting me over, it's been fun, even if it was scary." She chuckles softly and before Maki can respond, there's lips upon her cheek and she freezes out of both shock and amazement. Kotori pulls back and she smiles confidently as the next thing she says shocks the redhead even more and makes her eyes grow wide. "And I love you too,"

What? Kotori loves her? Too? So that meant...she knew about Maki loving her? But how?!

As if reading Maki's mind, Kotori chuckles again. "You've been staring at me for weeks and you could barely form a sentence around me until today. Don't be surprised, Maki-chan. I know the symptoms of love." She giggles this time at the first year's bright red face. "And also, Nozomi-chan gossips a lot."

What was first surprise turned to rage. "Nozomi told you!?" Maki cried, and Kotori nodded.

"Because she thought you would never tell me, as you're never completely honest with your feelings, Maki-chan. You need to open up to us a little more." The taupe haired girl says, and Maki can't exactly argue as its true. So instead she just sighs and grumbles for a while as Kotori leans back into her to gain warmth and the redhead does the same, basking in the aftermath of finally accepting her feelings.


	21. AlisaxUmi

A/N: Hi everyone, I'm back with AlisaUmi this time! This pairing was a little hard as there too wasn't much material for this pairing, but I came up with an idea at last and wrote this!

Order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

RinPana (Next)

HonoNico

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

NozoUmi

AnjuEli

Enjoy! XD

...

Title: Allergies Will Work Against You

Pairing: AlisaUmi

Rating: K+

...

Umi has never felt so nervous in her entire life.

Well, there has been plenty of nerve wracking moments that she's dealt with before, like when Muse had formed and she had had to participate in it's first ever concert, or when she discovered the exact kind of short dresses she would wear in future performances or even when she was confessed to and later accepted the confessor's feelings. And that's what led to the bluenette's current situation.

Twiddling her thumbs in her lap, she can't find the strength to peel her eyes away from the pretty girl with golden hair and sparkling blue eyes sitting beside her, just a few inches away. This girl- Alisa Ayase, her name is- is absolutely amazing in so many ways, from looks to personality, much like her older sister who's currently in her bedroom upstairs with a promise to give them space, with s few whispered warnings along the way in Umi's direction on the sofa. Eli is kind like that.

Anyway, back to Alisa. She's a kind-hearted, sweet young girl who despite her age, Umi finds herself attracted to (though she'll never admit it as she still thinks it's a little shameful to be dating someone that's still in middle school). Yes, Alisa Ayase, also known as Umi's girlfriend of three months now. A huge surprise that shocked everyone in Muse and resulted in an overprotective older sister checking on her every step in their relationship, and a bunch of friends who are way too keen to know how far they've gone. Umi can barely stand it some times, what with Eli breathing down her neck one minute, and then her friends breathing down it the other. But she wouldn't change one moment in this three month relationship, not a single one, because this is precious to her, despite the many times she gets flustered when Alisa is a little bold for her age or when she's teased by her best friends and seniors (minus Eli who could be glaring a little).

When Alisa confessed to her, Umi had promptly proceeded to freeze on the spot and almost faint a few moments later, which did nothing as the younger girl had immediately rushed to catch her. The bluenette had stumbled through her sentences when she recovered, and couldn't form much of a proper answer to the Ayase's feelings. The heartbreaking expression that she got in return was enough to make her want to accept the girl's confession on the spot, just to stop Alisa from crying which she looked like she was going to do with every word that passed Umi's lips, but the second year had wanted to consider these feelings appropriately and respond when she was ready. Alisa had agreed to it, understanding right away, even though she still had that look of sorrow in her eyes when she retreated home, leaving Umi guilty and with her overflowing thoughts. The next few days that followed that shocking event, Umi had pondered Alisa's feelings, as well as her own in hopes to come to a worthy conclusion that would suit both of them.

Along the way, the bluenette had started to discover similar feelings for the younger girl, and when she next saw Alisa waiting for Eli after school, she had proceeded to stammer out her feelings, feeling confident for once in showing how she felt. To say that Alisa was happy was an understatement; the blonde had squealed loudly, catching the attention of people nearby, before wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck. Upon snapping out of her shock, Umi had looked down and noticed that Alisa was standing on her tiptoes as she was a little too tall for her to reach, and it had made her smile before she slowly embraced the blonde back. It felt right, their relationship, and for once Umi had no trouble freely showing her emotions. The bluenette was known amongst her peers and friends for not showing her true feelings when she wanted to, but Alisa oddly made her feel like she could be true to herself. It really was strange, seeing as Alisa was younger but Umi was happy and that was all that mattered.

Except ever since last week, she's not been very happy. Well, not as happy as she was the weekend before last when she was on a date with Alisa.

It all started when her best friends, Honoka Kousaka and Kotori Minami, started pestering her for details of her latest date with the young Ayase between classes. Umi gave them minimal details, too embarrassed to say too much, and then Kotori asked her a question that turned her face a whole new shade of red.

"Have you and Alisa-chan kissed yet, Umi-chan?" Kotori had asked, curled fists propped under her chin to support her on her desk, a seemingly innocent smile on her lips. Umi has almost fainted, much like when she was confessed to, but Honoka (who had experienced this a million times) quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her upright in her chair.

"K-Kotori, that's t-too shameful!" The bluenette had cried, eyes wide. "Alisa's too young for that!"

"But Umi-chan-"

"Eh?" Honoka had chimed in from the side. "She's the same age as Yukiho is she not?"

"I believe so. What's your point, Honoka?" Umi had crossed her arms, desperately trying to calm down her large, embarrassing blush.

Honoka had beamed cheerfully. "Well Yukiho and her girlfriend kiss all the time! I walk by her bedroom, and sometimes I look in and see them doing it, and they don't even try to hide it! They just go for it." The ginger had then proceeded to look at Umi with a reassuring smile. "So maybe you should try too, Umi-chan."

"W-What?! B-But I couldn't-!"

"Nee, Umi-chan," Kotori had leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "I heard from Eli-chan that Alisa-chan was talking about you with her yesterday. And she said that Alisa-chan said that she wanted to kiss you, really badly."

"E-Eh?!" The youngest of the second year trio had moved backwards in her chair, startled from Kotori's tease and the fact that Alisa had said that. Wait, Alisa had said that she wanted to kiss her... A mixture of feelings had spun around in Umi's mind, actually still are, at the thought that sweet, innocent Alisa Ayase wanted her first kiss to be with Umi. It made her feel needed, loved and special if Alisa wanted Umi to take something so precious from her, just like that.

After that episode, Honoka and Kotori had both desperately tried to revive Umi who had passed out the more she thought of it. Once she was awake again, the bluenette had spent the rest of her classes trying to figure out a way to give Alisa what she wanted, what she deserved. After all, Umi wouldn't be any sort of a good girlfriend if she didn't attend to Alisa's needs.

And that's what she has been doing ever since. Every class she was distracted by it, every part of her free time she was thinking about it and it was driving her crazy. One part of her was telling her to focus on other things, to not give into such a shameless calling and another part was telling her to think of a way to give her cute girlfriend what she wanted, but was too afraid to ask for.

She reached her decision last night when Alisa had called and asked Umi if she wanted to come over to the Ayase household during the day for a date. Umi had agreed and had said she'd be there at noon. After she ended the phone call, the bluenette had went straight to panicking about what she should do. Should she try and fulfil Alisa's wish, or leave things alone before she (probably) embarrassed herself?

Full of conflict, Umi had went to the only person she deemed worthy enough to give her the special advice she needed.

"Ah, Umi-chan! I thought there was a reason you asked to meet me here," Nozomi Tojo had said with a smile as she turned around in her seat at the local cafe to be greeted by the second year who had wore a mask of nervousness and embarrassment as she had slowly sat down with a nod.

"Y-Yes, there is s-something I need to a-ask you about," The bluenette had stuttered, her hands clasping in her lap. Nozomi had smirked knowingly at the gestures.

"Hm, from what I'm seeing in front of me, is it about Alisa-chan perhaps?" She had asked. Umi had gasped at the sudden quick reveal.

"H-How did you guess?"

Nozomi had then placed her palms under her chin, still smirking. "You're blushing, you're fidgeting and you look nervous. Of course it's about Alisa-chan, isn't it?" Umi had sighed and then nodded, defeated.

"Yes. There's something I wanted to ask you about." The third year across the table from her had nodded, and Umi had taken that as her cue to continue. "W-Well, Kotori told me that Alisa told Eli that she wanted to k-kiss me..." The bluenette had trailed off, the blush rising on her face.

"And you wanted to ask how to fulfill her request without possibly scaring her," Nozomi hadn't even the need to ask. Umi had nodded in reply and Nozomi had smiled and proceeded to compile a plan that would work to achieve both parts of the couple's needs.

So now Umi sat in the Ayase's living room on the sofa next to her girlfriend, sweating with nervousness and waiting for the right moment to make a move apart from holding her hand. She's not ready, but part of her feels ready to move forward and feel those sweet, rosebud lips against her own. She feels ready to kiss the girl she loves.

"Is something wrong, Umi-chan?" The adorable blonde asks from her spot at her side, pulling her eyes away from the television to give her a concerned look. Umi forces a confident smile and replies quickly before Alisa gets even more concerned.

"No, no, nothing's wrong!" She exclaims, a little too quickly. Alisa cocks her head to the side, cutely.

"Oh, ok!" She giggles. "I just thought there was something on my face, because you keep looking at me like you've got something to say!"

Umi chuckles nervously and shrugs it off, mumbling an apology. Alisa smiles and goes back to the television, her hand reaching for Umi's. She grasps it tightly, the genuine smile on her tiny lips getting a little wider. And in that moment, Umi decides that she should make her move.

"Alisa," The girl moves her head in the bluenette' direction at the call of her name. "C-Can you close your eyes for a m-minute?"

"Huh? Why?" The blonde asks, her cute blue bow in her hair tilting to the side slightly.

"Um... I have a surprise for you," Umi says, desperately trying to keep her stuttering under control. The stuttering will give her away, and Alisa will be concerned and not go along with the plan that she and Nozomi put so much work into. Well, not really as its a simple plan really, but it took a lot of work on Umi's part to get over her embarrassment.

"Really?! Ok!" The younger of the two closes her eyes immediately, her body completely turned towards Umi now, hands clasped delicately in her lap. Umi bites her lip, remembering the next part of the plan like the back of her hand, but should she really do it without Alisa's knowledge? She hasn't got her eyes open, so she'll be unsuspecting and that could frighten her. Was Nozomi really telling the truth when she said this would work? Oh well, it's the only plan she's got.

That fact in mind, the second year inches forward slowly towards her girlfriend who still has her eyes closed, waiting for Umi's surprise. She leans in closer, her heartbeat incredibly getting faster and faster the closer she gets. She's so close she can smell the sweet blueberry scent of Alisa's shampoo, so close she can almost feel the contact. Almost...there...

But what she didn't account for was the sudden itchiness in her nose, and the unpreventable sneeze that came with it. Trying to turn her head and cover her face, she unintentionally smacks her head full force into Alisa's shoulder who's eyes shoot open upon the impact. The blonde lets out a little shriek as she tumbles off the sofa and on to the (thankfully) carpeted floor. Umi's who's still covering her nose in embarrassment, feels like dying right on the spot. This wasn't even remotely how the plan was supposed to go. She can't even look at the girl on the floor. Oh my god, she's going to think she's gross, and what if Eli heard her little sister scream from upstairs?! Oh my god, she was dead if she heard-

The bluenette pauses in her train of thought as she hears laughter uprise from the floor. Fearing the worst, she dares to take a peek at her girlfriend who she discovers with her palms pressed to her mouth where streams of giggles are erupting from.

"W-What just happened, Umi-chan?!" She laughs, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes as she looks up at Umi for an answer.

"I-I'm so sorry, Alisa," The bluenette whispers loud enough for the blonde to hear. "This wasn't how this was supposed to happen..." She reaches forward and leans down, offering her girlfriend a hand back up on to the sofa. Once she's sitting and comfortable again, Alisa composes herself before speaking,

"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, Umi-chan." She says, her cheeks tainted a healthy rose. "You were trying to kiss me, weren't you?"

Oh god, she knew? This just got even worse. But there's no point in lying to her, especially when the blonde is staring at her with large, sparkling eyes. "Y-Yes, but my allergies acted up and I ruined it. I'm so sorry, Alisa. This was supposed to be special..."

But despite the truth being revealed, Alisa doesn't make a move to defile her for her embarrassing mistake. Instead she leans forward and kisses her forehead with a light chuckle. "It's ok," She says gently. "I'm willing to let you have another chance at it, if you still want to," She pauses. "And you don't throw me off the sofa again," She adds after a moment. Umi blushes again at the thought of the past few minutes' events before her eyes widen as Alisa's words sink in.

"R-Really?" She stammers, and Alisa nods. The blonde closes her eyes again, and Umi repeats her previous steps, even hesitating for a moment to make sure she won't sneeze again. Her chest restricts in tension and excitement as she leans in. She pauses a moment before she can complete the last stage of the plan, thinking about if she's really ready or not after her last failed attempt.

But a part of her heart is tired of waiting and she fills the gap between them, her lips finally meeting her girlfriend's for the first time.


	22. RinxHanayo

A/N: Hey everyone! I feel that I'm a little quicker this time; am I? No? Oh well, I tried. Anyway, this idea came to me in the shower and I just had to write it! It's not my first time writing something like this, but I did put a lot of work into it (going to sleep at 1AM work) and I hope you all like it.

Also, I'm going to be accepting Love Live Sunshine requests now! The anime has aired two episodes already and it looks amazing and I'm in love with everyone. I won't say anything else about it as some people may not have watched it yet, but I love it! I've been doing a lot of thinking about whether I want Sunshine to be included in this oneshot collection or not, but I've decided to go for it. Lots of people have requested pairings for it, so I want to please them as well. So feel free to request Aqours and Muse pairings in the reviews!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

HonoNico (Next)

NicoRin

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

NozoUmi

AnjuEli

UmiMaki

ChikaKanan

YouChika

That's all from me now. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

...

Title: Lost

Rating: T

Pairing: RinPana

...

June 25th 2022

It was raining. Well, more of an utter downpour, complete with dark clouds as dull as her dress that barely swept the muddy grass that looked like it had just been freshly cut that morning. The poor civilian that had surely put effort into it would be disappointed with the weather, but life was full of grief. At least he could start anew, whereas there was no way she could, unless a miracle presented itself in the next minute or so.

She cast a glance to the ground, unable to look forward anymore, to where her feet incased in simple black flats sank deeper into the wet ground, but she could care less at this precise moment. Spoiled shoes didn't matter to her, not in the slightest. It was so ironic that it always seemed to rain on these occasions; matching everyone's mood, complimenting the trails of water working their way down many cheeks. It became hard to tell the two apart, despite the sea of umbrellas and hats. She had no protection herself, though her best friend had kindly offered her an umbrella which she had pushed away in less than an instant. She didn't care about her current state; why would she? She didn't need kindness, as it would only worsen her mood.

She sighed softly, almost inaudible, but no one would have heard her anyway. Everyone had left about fifteen minutes ago, heading home to get out of the atrocious weather. It was supposed to be sunny today, bright and beautiful, much like her, but Rin was glad it wasn't. It would have done nothing to improve her mood, and it would have just made her angry that other people would've been happy and enjoying the day whilst she was feeling the lowest of the low. She couldn't help but smile a little though at the thought of the sunshine. She had always loved the sun; summer and spring were her favorite seasons after all and they had often enjoyed spending their weekends together, basking in the beautiful weather. The smile on her face had always been tremendous, and could make that sunny day that bit more brighter. But there would be no more of that.

Rin looked up again, and glared at the large grey stone that greeted her. Even though it was dark, slightly chipped from the way it was handled in and covered in rain, the bold black letters stood out amongst everything else and was the only thing that caught her attention.

HANAYO KOIZUMI, BELOVED DAUGHTER, FRIEND AND LOVER, 2001-2022

The words brought a sharp pain to her chest all over again, just like when she had heard the news only a few hours after it happened. God, she should have been there. Why hadn't she been there? If she was, all of this could have been avoided.

She had been ordering her second bowl of ramen when she had received the call from the Nishikino hospital. She simply couldn't wait to eat, and she had devoured her first bowl in minutes, maybe even less. She knew that the brunette she was waiting for would just laugh and smile kindly when she came through the door and discovered that Rin had started without her, not offended in the slightest as she knew all of Rin's habits as she had grown up with her. She knew her inside and out, like the back of her delicate little hands that so often held Rin's. They were supposed to be on a date, and had both agreed to meet at the local ramen shop on Rin's street. Hanayo had told her to go on ahead, that she would meet her there towards Rin's offer to come and pick her up. She had agreed reluctantly as she wanted to escort the brunette so they could walk together, but Hanayo had meekly said she has something to do earlier in the day and there was a possibility she would go straight from the place to the ramen shop instead of from home. It was ok though; Rin knew there would be plenty of other chances to walk with Hanayo. Except there wouldn't be.

Rin had excused herself politely whilst at the counter of the shop, telling the young man behind it to hold her order until she was finished and quickly stepping out of the way to let other people go in front of her. It was a number she didn't recognize when she glanced down at the screen, but she answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Rin Hoshizora I'm speaking with?"

"Yeah, nya. Is there something you need?"

"...Hoshizora-San, we are sorry to inform you-"

The next few moments passed by in a slow motion blur. She had froze to the spot, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as her phone slipped from her trembling grip and clattered loudly on the floor next to her. She could feel surrounding customers as well as people in the queue looking at her with curiosity, but she couldn't see them through the blurry haze that could have been tears. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and a man's voice, calling for a glass of water. And then she sprang into motion. She pulled away from the man, who turned out to be the same man that was serving her at the counter, and she turned and ran out the door without so much as a pause to pick up her phone that remained on the floor where the caller was still on the line. The screen went black after a couple of moments though as they hung up, realizing they would be getting no reply.

...

She had ran all the way across the city to the large hospital building that towered over the various surrounding ones, but alas there was nothing she could do. She arrived too late, and by the time she had reached the front desk, she was greeted with a pitying look from the receptionist and the doctor that had just came out of the door who tried to explain the situation further but Rin wasn't for listening as she demanded to see the brunette. She was denied and she had started screaming until Maki had made an appearance ten minutes later and carted her off with the help of Nico to their car.

Later that same day, everyone else was informed including the rest of Muse. Rin hadn't cried when the news was broken and made official, but what came next was just as bad.

The funeral was scheduled for the twenty-fifth of June, and Maki said she would cover everything, not listening to anybody's complaints, even Hanayo's parents who thanked the redhead for her kindness. Rin wasn't in any shape to argue, and just went along with whatever was happening currently. She never thought she would be in this position before, planning one of her friends' funeral, let alone her best friend's. Her lover's...

Everyone had taken a different kind of hit since Hanayo's death was announced. Not everyone had straight up cried when the news was broken; only Honoka, Kotori and Nozomi had. Umi, Maki, Nico and Eli had taken on the role of comforting them at the time. Honoka had taken time off her job at her family's sweet shop to recover from the loss, and Kotori had done the same with her job in order to stay with Honoka in hopes of helping them both get better. Umi had suspended her studies until further notice in order to support Hanayo's parents who were struggling with both their loss and financial with Eli and Nozomi who took it in turns to run their nursery. Nico and Maki both worked in the Nishikino hospital, which meant that they couldn't afford to take time off their work to grieve like they did. Both didn't reveal their true feelings towards the situation, but they didn't need to as the look in their eyes, especially Maki's, was enough to describe how they really felt inside.

Rin took it all completely unexpectedly. She didn't cry, like everyone thought she would. She didn't throw a horrible fit, like everyone thought she would. She didn't even scream a little, like everyone thought she would. She simply started to fade away, little by little. Her happiness had cracked and the bright sunshine that used to be in her life was no more. She couldn't be happy anymore, not when the only thing she loved more than anything had been taken from her.

...

It was getting late. The rain had progressed into the becoming of a storm that threatened to tear down large trees and flood roads and pavements, the dark clouds turning an eerie black. No one should be out in this weather, but here she was with only a mere umbrella to protect her from the harsh storm. But she pushed it off when she noticed her best friend standing on the other side of the graveyard with no protection whatsoever. She couldn't-wouldn't-leave her like this, so she started advancing towards her.

She hadn't moved an inch from the gravestone since she last saw her, roughly fifteen minutes ago when she had left with her girlfriend to escort her home safely in the terrible weather. She had tried her best to persuade Rin to leave with them, but she was pushed away and the redhead didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone. It wouldn't help Rin in the slightest.

Maki sighed softly and continued steadily approaching the orange haired girl, lime green umbrella high above her head as she guided herself through the mix of mud and grass. She completely understood what Rin was going through right now; Hanayo had been her best friend too. But she knew she didn't exactly compare as Hanayo hadn't just been a best friend to Rin; she had been her everything, her lover so naturally it hurt more than anything when she lost her. The two of them were always together, so much that Maki could never imagine them apart or see one without the other. They were the kind of friends that were completely comfortable around each other and didn't care at all if they out of place somewhere, as long as they were together everything was ok. But now that Hanayo was gone, Rin couldn't be herself anymore. It was as if Hanayo had taken a piece of the girl with her on her departure from the world, and Maki feared what would happen now that that piece was gone.

She stopped a few feet away from the girl, though made sure she was close enough to cover her with her umbrella, and spoke softly to not alarm her of her presence. "Rin, it's getting a little late now and the rain's coming down really heavily. Maybe it's time to go home?" There was no response, so she tried to sweeten the deal a little. "We can put a movie on and sit with our feet up on the coffee table in front of the TV with hot chocolate and a bowl of ramen as well if you want. How's that sound?" There was still no reply, though the redhead noticed that Rin stiffened at the mention of her favourite food. Suddenly she felt bad for bringing the food up, and she tried to quickly change the subject. "Come on, you don't really want to stay in this awful weather, do you? You're getting soaked, and your dress and shoes are getting ruined." She thought there was going to be no reply again, but a raspy voice leaked through the lips of the small body that was turned away from her.

"I don't care." Rin said. Despite how hoarse her voice was, there was a bitter edge to it that Maki was surprised at hearing come out of her best friend's mouth. There was silence for a couple of moments, before Maki tried once more to reason with the orange haired girl. "Rin-"

"Why would I care about anything now when my everything is gone? Nobody seems to understand. I love her, so much that it hurts and now I won't ever see her again. I won't be able to hug her again, or take her out on a date or even kiss her. I never even got to do that as much as I wanted to. She was too shy, and I just laughed because she was too cute and I understood her so well to be mad. But I regret it so much!" Rin shivered a little. "I should've insisted more to pick her up. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened-"

"Rin." Maki spoke sharply. "This wasn't your fault. Don't you dare try to blame yourself for this. It was an accident, and she told you to go on ahead."

"But I should have went with her! Then she would have been safe!" Rin cried, still turned away from Maki who watched her with wide eyes. "It's my fault that she's gone and she's never coming back!"

"Rin!" Maki screamed, and Rin finally turned around, golden eyes wide at the sound of the redhead's tone. The taller girl stalked towards her until they were standing side by side. "There was nothing you could have done to save her, you know that! You didn't go after her because you respected her wishes for you to meet separately! She didn't want to hold you back and-" Maki stopped suddenly before she reached into her pocket. "I know the reason why she was late..." She presented a flat square box and handed it to Rin. The girl opened it with fumbling fingers and what was inside made her gasp softly. A golden heart on a chain of the same colour sparkled at her with the word 'Love' written on it in swirly black writing. There was a golden clasp on top of the heart and Rin reached for it and opened it to reveal a picture of her and Hanayo that they had taken on one of their dates. They were both smiling and the look in Hanayo's bright eyes was enough for Rin to start sniffling. Maki, who had stood at the side with an ashamed look in her face for not sharing this information earlier, stepped forward at the sound and put her hands on her friend's shoulders, the umbrella dropping to the grass.

"It's ok, it's ok. Just let it all out," She said comfortingly.

And Rin broke once more. Tears leaked out of her eyes and down her cheeks, falling onto her knees and the soaked ground beneath her. She tried to hide her face, but Maki didn't let her and dropped down on the soil beside her, not caring about the expensive material she was dirtying. She wrapped her arms around Rin's form and pulled her close into her chest where Rin buried her head and continued sobbing. Everything that she had been keeping in the entire funeral came out in a long rush, and it felt strangely comforting to let it all out. Maki didn't say a thing, just held her in a strong, kind grip and let her express her excruciatingly pain. And whilst Rin's gaze was pressed into her dress, she let out a few of her own tears as well.

...

They didn't speak a word about it on the drive back to Maki's mansion. Rin had willingly let herself be led to the car that was waiting right outside the gates, not having it in her to protest anymore with her fading voice. Maki had held her tightly all the way, for both Rin's support and her own. They had reached the car as quickly as possible to avoid the rain, as the umbrella lay forgotten exactly where it was dropped, and Maki had started driving almost right away. Staying there a mere moment more wouldn't make either of them feel any better.

The rain continued to come down around them, making it hard to see, but Maki figured that was the least of her problems right now. Pushing a wet strand of hair out of her face, she glanced at her passenger next to her out of the corner of her eye. Rin was still in the same position; gaze downcast at her ruined shoes, hands clasped tightly in her muddy lap. Combined with the water that continued to drip off the bottom of her dress and the ends of her hair, she did look a sorry sight, and it made Maki's heart clench at seeing her usually cheerful best friend in this state. Oh Rin...

Throughout the storm, the looming silhouette of Maki's home became visible and they pulled up to the gates in no time at all. The redhead rolled down the window and typed in the code as quickly as she could, before rolling it back up and finishing the journey up the driveway. The car lightly squealed to a stop on the stones, and Maki turned off the engine and gently tugged her keys from the ignition. The lights went down, and the inside of the car went pitch black. Lights still shine from inside the house, giving them little light to direct the, safely into the house. Maki turned to Rin in the darkness, seeing she still hadn't moved, though she wasn't expecting a change anyway. Sighing softly once more, the redhead leaned over and placed a comforting hand on her leg. The orange haired girl looked up, and Maki smiled.

"It'll get better, Rin," She whispered. "I promise. It will be hard to move on, and we'll all help you through it, every step of the way."

The sentence seemed to be exactly what Rin needed as for the first time since the accident, a small smile appeared on her dry and salty lips.

"T-Thank you, Maki-chan." She said quietly, and Maki squeezed her knee gently.

"It's fine. If you ever need anything though, or want to talk, promise me that you'll come to me first." Rin bit her lip, as if she was trying not to cry again, and nodded with a small sniff.

"Ok,"

"Good. Now, how about we go through with that plan I mentioned earlier? It would do us both some good to have a drink and maybe something to eat. It's been a long day," Maki offered, waiting patiently for Rin's response. To her surprise, she nodded in agreement. That was all the redhead needed, and she smiled before making her way out of the car. She made her way over to Rin's door where the girl was unbuckling her seatbelt and opened the door for her. She offered her hand, and Rin looked up at her for a moment, just thinking about everything that had happened during the last week and considering what she would do now. Maki smiled at her from the door, hand still outstretched...and Rin took it.

...

March 21st 2023

She picked her way through the endless wet leaves, grass cuttings and dried mud, one hand holding her sunhat tightly to prevent it from flying away on the light Spring breezes do the other clutching a single yellow rose. Her lime green dress hugged her figure tightly, the ends fluttering slightly also due to the breeze. She turned a corner and then another until she reached it. She approached steadily, sandals almost slipping off her feet as she did so, but her focus was completely on the large grey stone in front of her. She stopped and just stared for a while, fingering the rose carefully before she found words and started to speak.

"Hi, Kayo-chin. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been meaning to visit you, but I just couldn't. It always hurt too much when I thought of you, it still does, and I just couldn't bare to face you. Maki-chan wouldn't let me come either, saying that I would just get upset again and that it wouldn't help me in the slightest. She said it would upset you as well, so I stopped trying to escape. You know Maki-chan, so stubborn." Rin chuckled a little. "But she's been really kind to me, she always has. Ever since that day, she's been with me all the time. She said that anytime I feel lonely or upset, I can come to the hospital and see her and Nico-chan, even if they're busy. It makes me feel so special, and I appreciate it so much. I tell her that she doesn't have to be so kind to me, but she says that I deserve it and she wants to be there for me as much as possible."

"I'm living with them now; Maki-chan and Nico-chan. They brought it up one day out of the blue and even though I said that I'd be fine on my own, they insisted. They've got a really big house, and I know you would've loved it there. Also Nico-chan's pregnant. It's gonna be a girl; they found out last week." She paused for a bit. "They've decided to call her Hanayo, after you, Kayo-chin. But we won't call her Kayo-chin, because that's your name." She chuckled lightly. "Nico-chan keeps saying she's gonna be a mummy's girl, rather than a daddy's girl, and Maki-chan's convinced she's gonna take after her. The two of them are bickering like always, Kayo-chin." Rin paused again, looking down at the rose that shimmered in the sunlight with guilty eyes.

""Maki-chan really misses you, you know. Even though she has Nico-chan and little Hanayo on the way, you can tell that she misses your company, and wishes you were around. I'm pretty sure she would have made sure you were the first one to see her when she was born." She licked her lips and continued.

"She looks so sad sometimes, so lost without you. She always acts strong in front of all of us, I think it's so I don't start crying or anyone else starts crying for that matter, because no one else is really strong anymore, but sometimes I see her crying a little in the living room. I go to her sometimes, but other times Nico-chan gets there first. It's heartwarming how close they are, especially now, and it makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to meet someone like that again. You were the only one that made me really happy, Kayo-chin. You made me who I am."

She fell silent after that, and her eyes lifted to the stone again, going over the bold words again and again. For a moment, her eyes welled up with tears again but she bit her lip and dismissed as quick as they appeared. "No, I'm not allowed to be sad anymore, right Kayo-chin? Everyone's worked so hard after all to make me happy, so I won't let them down. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Even though she knew she wouldn't get a reply, she smiled as the wind whistled in the trees above and knocked more leaves off the branches to join the others pooling on the ground below. "Me neither," Still smiling, Rin moved forward and bent down slowly, her dress lightly touching the grass just in front of the stone. Without a word, she placed the yellow rose that she had been holding the whole time on the stone and lightly touched her lips before pressing them to her lover's name.

"I love you, Kayo-chin." She said, slowly standing up. She stared at the stone for a moment longer, before her smile brightened once more and she turned back down the path towards the gates, her dress fluttering behind her.

And if she had stayed just a moment longer, she would have heard it; a sweet whisper on the wind. "I love you too, Rin-chan."


	23. HonokaxNico

A/N: Hello everyone! I know, I know, it's been so long! I'm so sorry; summer's over (has been for almost two months for me) and school's gotten in the way again so I haven't had time to write due to preparing for upcoming exams. I'm hoping to get everything cleared quickly however so I can freely write a lot again! I apologise in advance if I'm away for a while, but I'll definitely be back if that's the case!

So first off, Love Live Sunshine. The anime was amazing and I love it so much! I've fallen deeply in love with all of the girls and I can't believe it's over already. And regarding that the first season is done, some reviewers were saying that I should wait until its finished before adding them into this collection. But I knew that even though I announced this early in the airing when only two episodes had aired, that it would most likely be finishing up when I got to the pairings requested on them. And I haven't even gotten half way through the pairings list yet so it's totally fine :)

Next up, I'm participating in the Love Live Big Bang! I'm sure some of you know what it is, but if you don't you can find it on Tumblr. I'll be uploading the fic here at the end of October so keep an eye out for it!

And lastly, this oneshot is dedicated to hyunryuzen (Asher) on Twitter who loves HonoNico as much as I do!

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NicoRin (Next)

NozoMaki

KotoUmi

HonoRin

NozoUmi

AnjuEli

UmiMaki

ChikaKanan

YouChika

YouRiko

KanaMari

That's all for now! Enjoy! XD

...

Title: Missing My Idol

Rating: T

Pairing: HonoNico

...

Nico never knew that she would miss her so much.

"...And then we went to the zoo where the animals were so pretty and some of them were massive, like they looked like they could literally have eaten me whole. Dad asked me what my favourite one was and I had such a hard time choosing because the birds were really colourful and pretty, but the koalas were cute and so were the Penguins, not to mention the giraffes which I imagined hitting their heads off the tree branches every time they walked under them. Like seriously, how can they avoid doing that-"

Nico nodded with a small smile on the other end of the webcam call, just letting Honoka continue to ramble on and on about the fun she was having abroad. It's not like she could stop her anyway. The ginger and her family had gone on vacation for a week to Australia, her parents claiming that sales in the shop had heightened over the last year and they could afford to go abroad on a much deserved vacation that summer. It was a very random choice, as Australia didn't seem like a destination that any of the four would pick, and in a way they didn't as Mrs Kousaka proposed the idea of spinning a globe and letting Honoka place her finger on it. And alas, her finger landed on Australia, which is where they were right now, miles and miles away from Nico for a whole goddamn week. Well, it wasn't the whole family being away that killed Nico (not to be rude); it was just Honoka being away for a whole week that destroyed her. She couldn't hold her, or kiss her, or just be with her like she so badly wanted at this point in time.

Of course, she would never admit that to the girl herself or any other person for that matter as she even had difficulty confessing it to herself in the confines of her mind. She was just too stubborn for that.

Now, Nico wasn't the clingy type (so she believed) and she was ok with that because she shouldn't have to be clingy to get attention; she was the great Nico-Nii after all! And Honoka was one hundred percent more clingy than she would ever be. But even if she didn't showcase it as much as Honoka and Rin did, she still had needs and right now one of her needs was to be close to Honoka...who was in a different country. Great.

If Nico had been asked around eight months ago if she felt anything strange for Honoka Kousaka, second year and leader of Muse, she would have jerked away in shock and almost horror at the mere thought of being in a relationship with the clumsy but cheerful girl. But after spending time with her was when she realised how wrong she was to think that way; to think that Honoka was just another ordinary girl with a positive attitude towards basically everything that had an idea similar to one Nico had had in her first year at high school. She realised that there was layers to Honoka's character, and after spending time with her properly as both a friend and fellow club member, she could see most of them clearly. Honoka Kousaka on the surface was cheerful, upbeat and positive, but under all that she was truly honest, caring and would do anything for anyone that had a serious impact on her life whether that be a family member or a friend that she considered close enough. Upon further investigation, she was also charismatic and had the ability to captivate surrounding people with her personality and her contagious smile and bright crystal blue eyes. She was the sort of character that drew people in, and it was no surprise that Nico was caught in that effect as well.

It was hard not to really, seeing as Honoka was such an enthusiastic person that actually reminded Nico of the numerous idols that she looked up to. They all had free spirits and weren't afraid to take risks to make others happy, and that's what Nico always admired about them. It wasn't about the cute dresses, or the popularity rates or even the appearance; it was about making others smile which is what Nico had wanted to do ever since she was a small child. And now that dream had came true, all thanks to Honoka who had a free spirit and wasn't afraid to take risks.

When the group of six, known as Muse in its early stages, approached her at her clubroom, she had felt various emotions all at once: anger, shock, surprise, sadness... Given, they were nice girls, but Nico simply couldn't let them use the room, let them rise up, and constantly remind her of what she had tried to accomplish in her first year of high school and failed. She had turned them away after she had unintentionally helped them by showing them a little bit of her character, her expression claiming she had no regrets, but inside she wished they had stayed just a little longer.

It was rather lonely, she had to admit, what with her club being basically non-existent and she wasn't exactly known for getting along with her classmates. She did know two fellow third years that she wouldn't say she was familiar with, but they always appeared at some point either on purpose or not. Nico would say that the girl with purple hair, known as Nozomi Tojo, was responsible for those 'meetings' and the blonde, Eli Ayase, looked like she was just tagging along seeing as she didn't exactly have many friends of her own either. The two were alike in more ways than they realised, even now, but back then Nico simply pushed the two away and she regretted it.

She had also found out on the same day she had met Muse that it was Nozomi who had sent them to her. It wasn't that much of a surprise as she had heard of them before (it was hard to miss a growing group of idols practically right in front of her), and kind of expected Nozomi to create some scheme to get Nico involved. She did claim to know the Raven like an open book, and she was known for her constant meddling in people's lives. But she had sent them away, and she believed she had lost her chance.

But the very next day, she had opened the clubroom door to reveal six familiar faces. To say she was shocked had been an understatement.

"Hello!"

"Please have some tea, President!" The leader of the group with bright ginger locks with part of it in a childish side ponytail and sparkling crystal blue eyes.

"President?!" She had actually called Nico president...

"Here's the table for the club's yearly budget, President!" The girl with long taupe hair styled in a ridiculous...thing at the top of her head and gentle Amber eyes.

"President, some boxes were cluttering the desk, so we put them back up on the shelf!" The energetic cat girl with orange hair and golden eyes that she remembered chasing her around the school grounds with a fierce expression that actually scared her.

"Hey, I never gave you permission-!" She had started to protest but had been cut off rather rudely by another member.

"R-Recommend us some songs we could learn from, President." The tallest girl of the group with flaming crimson hair and piercing lilac eyes.

"M-Maybe we can learn from some by watching this," The brunette with violet eyes that had ogled over her idol collection earlier that week had held up her most treasured idol dvd.

"I told you, that's-" She had begun but had been cut off again as she felt warm hands gently grip her shoulders.

"We wanted to consult you about our next song, President!" The ginger girl again, and Nico couldn't help but relish in the sudden warmth of those hands.

"I think we should be more conscious of ourselves as idols, like you suggested," The bluenette with Amber eyes that had a calm aura about her and Nico had been grateful that she wasn't as rude as the others.

"Let us know if you have any ideas for the dance." The perky girl with the weird taupe hairstyle still clutching the piece of paper that held the budget table that Nico had felt she had no right to be holding. "Please divide up the parts for the song too!"

The look on Nico's face had been priceless to say the least. Her sanctuary had been disturbed and she had been bombarded by girls she had only met earlier in that week. They had dared invade her space, go through her possessions, all so calmly, and then play twenty questions with her! It was ridiculous, and she had known exactly why they were doing it.

She had scoffed bitterly whilst resting her palms on the table. "Did you think you'd get your way by doing this?" She had felt the warm hands lift off her shoulders and she had turned to see the ginger leader, also known as Honoka Kousaka, give her a small smile with a gleeful look in her eyes.

"Get our way? We're just asking for your consolation...for the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club's next song, which all seven members of Muse will sing!"

Nico had turned fully to face the girl with wide eyes. What? Seven? Surely the girl knew that her group had six members, not seven... But deep down she had known what Honoka was asking her. "Seven members?"

"Nico-senpai!"

She had let it sink in slowly, and once it had, she hadn't been able to stop the happy feeling she felt inside. She had squashed it down, however.

"It'll be tough," She had informed and Honoka had brightened again with a determined attitude.

"I know!" She really didn't.

"Becoming a top idol takes a lot of effort! You're way too naive!" She had pointed at Honoka who had shrunk back in slight fear. "You too! And you!" She had moved her accusing finger to Kotori and Umi before she finally pointed at the three first years sitting at the table. "You all are!" She had sighed and crossed her arms. "Listen, an idol's job isn't to flash people a smile; its to make people smile! Never forget that!"

She had witnessed smiles suddenly spread throughout the room and she had turned to Honoka who had flashed her a gentle smile, her crystal eyes glowing with hope and admiration. It had caught Nico off guard for sure, but she had found herself smiling back at the ginger as her heartbeat increased under her navy blazer and baby pink cardigan. And that's when it had all begun.

From there, Nico had started to fall in love with Honoka, her new leader. She learned lots about her and having spent so much time with her over the course of the time she had joined Muse, she had realised she noticed Honoka in a way entirely different from what she had expected and how everyone else saw her. Admittedly, she did think the ginger was a bit of an airhead, crazily clumsy and kind of selfish at some points, but Nico had found that she actually liked all these parts of Honoka and she wanted to know even more about her.

Nozomi, of course, had been the first to find out. It was shortly after her and Eli had joined the group on their activities, and she had caught Nico looking at Honoka more than what would have been accepted as normal. After a lot of teasing and questions which didn't work out so well, she obviously had gotten her answer through groping the Raven and had gotten her to spill every detail. Nico did reluctantly and Nozomi had had a field day with the new information.

Weeks had gone by and soon everyone but Honoka herself had caught on. Of course Nico had wanted to confess, but she had been embarrassed and the other girls had agreed when she had told them Honoka was incredibly dense so she might not understand straight away. It has been incredibly frustrating and it has killed her, but Nico had had no idea what to do.

Luckily one day, her temper had proved useful.

Due to locking her true feelings for Honoka up, Nico had grown slightly bitter as she hadn't even been able to confess properly and she hadn't known how to. Everyone had noticed and hadn't commented, but Honoka had noticed as well and she was known for never staying silent for long.

"Nico-chan?" The smooth voice had called out as the door to the clubroom opened and closed a second apart and footsteps echoed around the room. Nico hadn't even bothered to turn around and had stayed facing the computer screen. "Ah, you are in here! I was wondering where you'd gone off to, and Nozomi-chan said that you might be in the clubroom which you are! Good, at least now I don't have to wander the whole school looking for you~"

"What do you want?" Nico had said in a monotone voice and she hadn't even needed to glance at Honoka to know that she had flinched.

"Uh.. Um, we were gonna practice on the roof..and since you're a part of Muse, you should come join us," Honoka had replied, trying to stay cheerful. Nico had groaned mentally at that.

"I'm busy right now; I'll come up later,"

"Eh..?" Nico had waited for Honoka to go and leave her alone, but she should have known Honoka wouldn't leave so easily. She had barely had time to react when Honoka had walked up to her and forcefully spun the chair to face her.

"Hey! What are you doing-?!"

"Nico-chan, tell me what's wrong?" Honoka had spoke in a soft whisper and Nico hadn't been able to repress a gulp at how close their faces were at that moment.

"N-Nothing's wrong, I-I'm just busy is all..."

"Liar," The second year had said and a slightly cold look had appeared in her eyes. "Why won't you tell me what wrong? Do you not trust me? I thought we all told you that we were here for you..."

"I'm not lying!" Nico had yelled suddenly, shocking Honoka who had almost fallen backwards. "You can't come in here and accuse me of lying when it's my own business if something is wrong! You all never cared before; nobody cared before! You can't just expect me to want to let you know everything about me straight from the beginning; that's not how it works! You only do that because you're so trusting of everyone and everyone thinks the world of you because you're so bloody perfect and beautiful and caring and that's why I love you so much!" The room had gone silent after that. Nico had realised what she had just said, what she had just confessed, and Honoka's eyes couldn't have gotten any larger. The Raven had mentally groaned and prepared to turn the chair around or leave the room, but she had never got the chance.

"You...love me?" Honoka had said it in a whisper and looked up to Nico for her reply to which the ruby eyed girl had simply nodded. There had been no point in hiding it, especially after the embarrassing sentences that she had let slip out of her mouth in her pointless rage. She had looked down at her lap, fists clenching her skirt, and then she had heard Honoka chuckle lightly. "Thank god," Nico's head had shot up to meet Honoka's sparkling eyes and a gentle smile.

"E-Eh?" Was all that Nico had been able to struggle in saying, and Honoka's smile had only grown as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against Nico's. The Raven had barely been able to move from both fear and nervousness, but somehow she hadn't minded all too much...

"Haha, I know what you're thinking, Nico-chan so let's just say that I knew all along about your crush on me~"

"E-Eh?!" Honoka had known all along? It had been a complete surprise. All those times she had spoken privately with other members about her, the dreamy looks she couldn't help but give her, how she would smile more around her than anyone else... "You...knew?"

Honoka had nodded. "It was kinda hard to miss, even for me; you weren't exactly subtle when you were always staring at me..." Nico's cheeks had gone bright cherry red and Honoka had laughed that sweet sound again. They had stared at each other for what felt like hours until Honoka had started inching forward and Nico had found herself doing the same. They had gotten closer and closer until eventually their lips had collided at last.

It had been the best moment of Nico Yazawa's life. Her lips upon Honoka's, the girl she had fallen deeply in love with. The softness had been unreal, and out of the pure feeling of bliss, Nico had stood up and grabbed the girl before slamming her against the nearest wall. Honoka had let out a surprised noise at the sudden change in position and it had echoed in Nico's ears as she deepened the kiss that she had wanted to plant on Honoka for so long. They had stayed connected for a few moments more until they had broke for air, panting hard.

"You've been wanting to do that for a while haven't you, Nico-chan?" Honoka had smiled as she pushed herself off the wall. Nico had blushed again, not giving a straight answer, but it had been obvious anyway what she was really thinking. Honoka had chuckled and then proceeded to wrap her arms around the petite Raven. "I'm sorry I never said anything earlier, Nico-chan... You probably felt so frustrated, and I didn't help you. I'm sorry,"

Nico had been shocked to say the least, but she pushed all thoughts aside in favour of hugging Honoka back and whispering in her ear. "Everything's all right now," She had felt Honoka smile against her shoulder and she hadn't been able to help but smile along with her...

"Nico-chan?"

"Hm?" The Raven snapped out of her thoughts and refocused on the webcam where she was greeted with Honoka's concerned face.

"Is something wrong?" The ginger asked, pressing her face closer to the screen as if trying to miraculously climb through to get to Nico's side. Nico would have loved that, but she knew it wasn't possible. She thought about Honoka's question and then realised she hasn't answered yet.

"Wrong? What do you mean?" She asked and Honoka's reply was a frown and furrowed eyebrows.

"Nico-chan..."

Nico sighed; she knew there was no way to get out of it. "I... I-I just miss you, ok?" A small blush covered her cheeks and she briefly turned away from the screen. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Honoka, but it was super embarrassing, especially coming from Nico as it was so uncharacteristic and strange. Of course, it was normal for lovers to feel slightly lonely and sad without each other, but it was Nico's first time feeling this way and it hurt.

Everyone believed that Honoka was the clingy one of the two, but Nico had her moments too.

"Nico-chan... I miss you too." Nico looked back at the screen and stared at the face she loved with those twinkling blue eyes and rosebud lips and that pale complexion that was slightly red from her statement. "Let's go on a date when I get back, kay?!"

Nico could only stare at the girl for a few minutes, before a small smile breached her face. "Yeah..I'd like that,"

It was silent again after that, but it was all right as all the two needed was to look at each other to end up blushing, laughing and smiling again.

Nico was about to speak up, when she suddenly heard the familiar voice of Honoka's mother through the webcam.

"Honoka, are you ready yet? Our dinner reservations are in less than two hours..."

The Raven felt her heart sink slowly at the realisation that Honoka was going to have to leave soon. But she wanted her to stay so they could talk more... She wanted to hear her voice, her laughter. She loved Honoka's voice. She loved Honoka. She missed her so much.

"I'm just about to, Mom!" Honoka shouted towards the door before turning back to the webcam, a saddened look on her face. "I've gotta go, Nico-chan..."

"Do you really have to go? Two hours is a long time..." Nico already knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to ask. Honoka looked just as upset as her as she said her next words.

"Yeah... I'm sorry, Nico-chan... But I can call you again later, if you want, though it might be late and you might be busy or asleep-"

"Promise?" Nico cut her off with a serious tone, ruby eyes staring into the webcam. Honoka looked shocked on the other end, before a bright smile appeared on her face and she let out a small noise of agreement.

"Of course! I promise!"

"Honoka! Get a move on!" Nico heard from the other end and relished in the adorable huff Honoka let out as she propped herself up on her knees to prepare to get up off her bed. She gave a small smile to Nico.

"Sorry, I better get going or they'll leave without me,"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Nico asked as she propped her chin up with her palm. Honoka put on a look of fake hurt as she held her chest.

"Do you want me to starve, Nico-chan? How cruel,"

Nico couldn't help but smile and let loose a chuckle. "Of course not. Get going, you idiot." Honoka laughed in reply and stood up from the bed. Nico was about to reluctantly hang up, until Honoka suddenly bounded back onto the bed, almost knocking her laptop over, and came closer to the webcam with a cute look on her face.

"Hey, Nico-chan? Try to relax a little, ok? I'll be back in four days, and we'll do something then, kay?"

Nico nodded slowly and then crept closer to the webcam as well, gripping her laptop firmly by the edges to steady herself. Honoka looked just about ready to click the 'end' button on their conversation to start getting ready, but Nico wanted to be selfish for just a minute or so more.

"I love you," Silence took them both over as a blush coated Nico's cheeks. She had said it. It wasn't the first time they had said it of course, but Nico herself didn't say it as often as she felt like as should; it was always Honoka initiating romantic acts, gestures and phrases as Nico wasn't the best at displaying her emotions and it was embarrassing. But she had become more open after meeting Honoka, and she was incredibly thankful for that, much more than the ginger knew.

"I love you too, Nico-chan," Honoka's cheeks mirrored the one on Nico's and she grinned cheerfully at the webcam. "Four days, ok?" And with that, the screen went blank and Nico was taken back to the home page of the app. She pouted; she never even got a chance to respond! That Honoka...

She closed the laptop over and sighed as she pulled her knees up to her chest. Four days, huh...? She looked up the pink calendar hanging on the nearest wall and groaned. Four days was far too long.


	24. NicoxRin

A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! Yes, I know I am incredibly late with this update (about 4 months late…) but I've had exams and all sorts of stuff keeping me from writing, as well as the lack of inspiration lately. But I'm back now and for my resolution for 2017, I'm going to get through all these pairing requests if it's the last thing I do!

It's also Dia's birthday, so happy birthday our beautiful queen! Have you all seen the new Aqours set yet? It is absolutely gorgeous, and Lantis have generously (probably unintentionally) leaked the whole set! I love Mari's card as well as Yohane, Dia and Ruby's; they are just precious. I'm so glad it's a Kurosawa UR pair as Dia deserves it as a birthday gift and I really wanted Ruby as the other UR J

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoMaki (Next)

KotoUmi

HonoRin

NozoUmi

AnjuEli

UmiMaki

ChikaKanan

YouChika

YouRiko

KanaMari

Anyways, I won't keep you too long! Happy New Year everyone and let's hope that 2017 is better than 2016! Enjoy!

…

Title: New Year Morning Chills

Pairing: NicoRin

Rating: K+

…

It was cold. It was really freaking cold. Well, it _was_ late December so that could be a major factor but that didn't matter right now.

Rin could feel the chill pressed just outside her blankets, seeping through the thick fabric and into her bones, slowly freezing her to her very soul. They must've forgotten to put the heater on last night. If Rin had known she would be awake right now with the lack of heating as a problem, she might have remembered to ask Maki to put it on, but she was a little busy last night. She had been invited by Maki, along with the rest of Muse, to come over to the Nishikino mansion to celebrate the upcoming New Year with a small party…that soon turned larger than expected. Rin remembered most of it pretty clearly; she never knew Umi could dance as wildly as she had last night and she swore Nozomi and Eli were joined at the hip...and the lips it seemed. She couldn't complain though; she'd had fun! And fun was what Rin loved the most.

This was far from fun though.

She shivered violently all of a sudden, and the orange haired girl thought she was going to accidentally fall backwards out of her makeshift bed on the living room floor on top of Umi who upon steadying herself and sneaking a glance, was still completely knocked out in her own sleeping bag (well, it was basically Kotori's), a steady line of drool trickling down her chin. Nice. If Rin had a camera right now then she would have captured the moment where the mature and cool Umi Sonoda had let herself go at a New Year's party instead of lecturing everyone on the noise because Maki's parents wouldn't. They had left shortly after all the members of Muse had arrived, saying something about spending the night in a fancy hotel as to not get in the way of their party and there hadn't been a word from them since, though Rin had seen Maki on her phone a little after the bells which she assumed was them exchanging 'Happy New Year's. It was a heart-warming sight to say the least, and Rin hadn't missed the small happy smile that crossed the redhead's face at that time. She acted tough and slightly snarky most of the time, but the orange haired girl knew that deep down, Maki Nishikino was a softie.

Rin was pulled from her thoughts with another shiver and she desperately wished she had another blanket, or knew how the heating worked so she could get up and put it on. She considered waking Maki, but one look at the redhead buried adorably in Honoka's chest and she voted against. Plus, Maki had proved to behave similarly to Umi when woken from her sleep and Rin wasn't going to provoke that despite the chill taking over her body.

With a small sigh, from which Rin could have sworn that she could see her breath escape in front of her, she laid on her back before pulling the blankets over her again properly to try and get some warmth into her. It was cold and she didn't like it. The window she lay across from had its curtains drawn, but she could tell that snow had gathered outside in large clumps. Maybe she could convince everyone to have a snowball fight later when they all woke up, though she was sure Honoka and Nozomi wouldn't need any coaxing. She could just imagine them all outside in the snow, happily exchanging light trash talk and laughing. The thought actually made her feel slightly warm, and she relished in the heat her blankets had stopped providing her. Ah, finally…

Except, it didn't last.

The cold returned almost as quickly as it had arrived and Rin was back to shivering. She looked around at her friends who slept soundly. How the hell could they all sleep so soundly and look so warm whilst the heating was off? They all had the same number of blankets, yet she was the only one suffering.

Suppressing a small growl, the first year turned her head to look at Maki again who had moved a little since she had last looked, her face now resting on Honoka's shoulder. The ginger herself had her face pressed against Maki's, nuzzling her gently and the sight was incredibly adorable. And it gave Rin an idea on how to warm up.

Glancing beside her at her two choices, Rin thought long and hard about it. Umi or Nico? On one hand, Umi might not wake up but if she did, then Rin would probably receive a chop on the head and be thrown back into her own sleeping bag. Nico, on the other hand, also might not wake up and there was a slight chance that if she did wake up then she would let Rin stay. Looking at her two choices again, Rin nodded her head with a grin before wrapping her blankets tightly around herself and moving slowly towards the sleeping bag on her left side where Nico lay sleeping soundly. She wasn't drooling like Umi, another reason why Rin hadn't chosen the bluenette, and her raven locks had been set free from her usual pigtails and was a mess on her pillow.

Her grin widening, she quietly grabbed the edge of Nico's blankets and held it up high enough for her to slip in beside the third year, who woke up almost the instant Rin dropped the material. She didn't kick Rin out though, like her instincts told her to, as the second Rin made contact with her, she realized why she had sought Nico.

"Damn, it's cold," The raven haired girl stated. "Is that why you snuck into my sleeping bag instead of staying in your own?"

Rin nodded as she snuggled up to Nico, placing her head on the girl's chest. Nico didn't complain, though if Rin was to look at her face, she would know Nico didn't appreciate the sudden pressure on her chest. "I think Maki-chan forgot to turn the heater on after the party last night, nya."

Nico rolled her eyes at the first year's reply. Of course. "So much for being a perfect host, letting all her guests turn to ice cubes…" Rin hummed agreement as a response and snuggled closer to her senior. Nico rolled her eyes again, but slowly put her arms around the other girl. She looked around instantly to make sure no one was awake.

"Don't worry, Nico-chan, we're the only ones awake, nya." Rin said, meeting the third year's eyes, having noticed her scanning the room. The raven nodded in reply and the two fell into silence. Rin sighed in bliss as she finally started warming up, and Nico actually felt quite nice as well what with Rin being like a hot water bottle despite the fact she had been freezing when she entered the sleeping bag.

A sudden cold chill crept up Nico's leg and the petite girl gasped as she pulled away, almost causing Rin's head to bang on her chin in the process. Rin looked slightly puzzled before a small sheepish grin crossed her face.

"Aha, sorry, Nico-chan! I moved my foot and it accidentally touched your ankle, nya!"

Nico shook her head as she lay back down again, Rin immediately resuming her previous position, but not before the raven shot her a small glare. "If you put your icy feet on me again, I will not hesitate to kick you back into your own cold sleeping bag!" She hissed, and Rin gulped behind a tiny laugh.

"Sorry, Nico-chan. I'll do my best." She curled up on Nico's chest, much like the cats she always imitated, and Nico once again threw her arms around her. The two fell into silence once again, but it didn't last long before Nico spoke.

"Why did you come to me anyway?"

"Well, I didn't want to move too far because I was really cold, nya! You and Umi-chan were the closest to me, so I chose you because Umi-chan gets really scary when she gets woken up!" Rin explained and Nico leaned back against her pillow.

"Can't argue there," She stated, shutting her eyes. Just when she was about to go to sleep again, Rin piped up.

"I saw Honoka-chan and Maki-chan doing this, and they looked really warm. nya! So I thought I'd do it with you!" Nico's eyes snapped open.

"W-What?" She sat up again. Rin didn't look all too pleased with being denied her pillow again, but she moved so Nico could see clearer.

"Look, nya,"

The raven haired third year spotted the ginger and redhead in the far corner from them, and took in the rare sight of Maki being affectionate with someone. She had her head on Honoka's shoulder and the second year had her own head close to Maki's, like they were actually awake and talking in gentle whispers. A small smile breached Nico's lips before she turned back to Rin.

"Yeah, but they're dating, Rin," Nico replied bluntly. Rin nodded.

"I know, nya."

"So that's why they're doing that, we're not dating though."

"So? I like cuddling with Nico-chan!" Rin pushed Nico back down on to the sleeping bag, laughing quietly yet playfully. The third year resisted of course, but soon enough, she gave up.

"Fine, whatever," She said, before closing her eyes again. Rin laughed again, and Nico found herself smiling again. Ok so maybe it didn't matter that they weren't dating; cuddling was fine, as long as Rin kept those icy demons known as feet away from her, then she'd allow it. But the second someone else woke up, mainly Nozomi or Maki, she was pushing the orange haired girl back into her own sleeping bag.

Rin seemed to understand that though, even if Nico hadn't said a word aloud, and settled in her senior's arms before closing her eyes. She felt Nico's arms tighten slightly around her and she pushed herself even closer to the other girl. She felt full of warmth now, and it felt amazing. With the chill falling to a minor now, Rin drifted off to sleep in Nico's warm embrace. It was a perfect way to start the new year.


	25. KotorixUmi2

A/N: Happy Valentines Day, everyone! I know I haven't updated since New Years, but I'm here now and I promise I'll try to blast through these requests- summer is coming up in a few months anyway which'll give me time. :)

I know this isn't NozoMaki as well, but I had an idea for KotoUmi that fitted so well with Valentines Day and I couldn't resist.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

NozoMaki (Next)

HonoRin

NozoUmi

AnjuEli

UmiMaki

KanaChika

YouChika

YouRiko

KanaMari

NicoRin

I'll let you get on with reading now. Enjoy!

...

Title: Barren

Pairing: KotoUmi

Rating: T

...

She felt sick. She felt physically sick.

Her hands were clammy, and she worried that if she continued to hold onto the envelope she would spoil it. Maybe it was a sign that she shouldn't even be holding it in the first place.

There was an abuzz of chatter around her from fellow students heading home after a long and tiring school day, and the continual clatter of locker doors slamming hurriedly as girls ran to catch up with their friends moving towards the exit, yet the only sound she could hear was the noisy throbbing of her beating heart.

Her body trembled, hands shaking the beloved item in them fiercely even when she leaned against the nearest locker to calm herself. The cold metal sent chills through her, neutralizing the warmth her body already had, but that was the least of her problems.

Her eyes drifted down to the glittery pink envelope, the fold stuck down with a small red heart. She hadn't wanted such a sugary sweet envelope; a much more neutral pink or even white would have sufficed, but she had put off buying the card for so long and by the time she finally found the courage to move and purchase one, there had only been slim pickings left. It surprised her though that the glittery one hadn't already been chosen seeing as it fitted most of what Valentines Day was considered nowadays: sweet, affectionate and sappy. Maybe other people had had the same difficulty as her, though they had obviously found their strength quicker than her. Typical. She had always been the nervous type, a coward even when it came to embarrassing things and voicing her own opinions. She wasn't used to having people listen to her as she was quiet and kept to herself most of the time. Of course, that had all changed when she met the two most important people in her life.

When she first met Honoka Kousaka, she had been shying behind a tree, scared to be discovered upon spying on the ginger girl and her friends playing tag in the local playground. She wasn't even supposed to be there; her mother had taken her out to do the weekly shop with her at the supermarket a few streets down, and she had wandered off from the woman when she spotted the children playing. They looked so happy... Her feet had taken her to them before she could think twice.

The children playing had intrigued her with their happy giggles and shouts and she had suddenly longed to be a part of it. She hadn't had any friends herself; she had spent most of her time studying even if she was considered too young to do it yet and worked hard at her family's dojo in hopes to fulfill her role in being the next heir to it one day. Everyone seemed to shy away from her, as if they were scared or deemed her too special to touch due to her in-heritage, and even if it hurt, she went along with it out of respect for their wishes. She had been taught to be patient and respectful after all.

And then along came the little ginger girl with the biggest smile she'd ever seen, who extended her hand to her to join their game of tag. Umi had been shocked to say the least, but her shock melted away when she met eyes with one of the ginger girl's friends.

To say that the girl she saw was pretty would have been an incredible understatement; she looked like a goddess. With shiny hair that ran to her waist the unusual color of taupe- styled at the top in a strange loop-, sparkling amber eyes- much like her own yet so different at the same time-, tiny rosebud lips and skin as white as the snow that had recently cleared from the streets, Umi knew there could be no one like her. She had joined in the game of tag and when the girl introduced herself, her voice was as sweet as honey. She could have listened to that voice all day and night.

Umi made fast friends with the girl, Kotori, and Honoka and the three stuck together through their school days. She grew up surrounded by laughter, happy voices and cheerful smiles. But not only was she surrounded by them, she found herself participating in doing them and she couldn't stop the joy spreading through her entire being. She loved both her friends naturally, and when Muse was started in her second year of high school, she made a lot more friends than she ha ever imagined herself with. But there was always one that stood out amongst the rest, and that was Kotori.

There was just something about the taupe haired beauty that Umi found herself intrigued by. She would always find herself staring at her, even if she didn't always mean to, and she could never bring herself to be angry around her where she could be with Honoka. Recently, her heart had been beating wildly around the girl and she would start randomly trembling and burn up as if she had a sudden unexplained fever that had been waiting to pounce at the right moment. It all hadn't made sense, until Nozomi had spelt it out for her. The third year had apparently noticed all the bluenette's strangeness and had drawn up a conclusion that she happily shared with her when they happened to be alone one afternoon before club practice.

There was no way she had feelings for her best friend. It was impossible, unreasonable...crazy... But it would explain why she found herself stuttering and acting like such a fool around the girl.

Umi wouldn't admit she was scared, but with her back pressing even further against the cool metal of the locker and the envelope becoming slightly wet in her hands, she was terrified. She should have never let Nozomi talk her into doing this. There were endless scenarios as to what would happen after she worked up enough courage to give the letter to Kotori when she eventually came by, but Umi couldn't imagine any of them. The fear was getting to her, tainting her courage and making her sweat. Other people would have more courage than her, definitely, especially Honoka; that girl was never afraid to share her opinions or voice her concerns, a truly admirable trait that was one of the reasons Umi considered her such a close friend, despite how close they bonded. They were so different, yet they were best friends. Umi wouldn't change it for the world.

A nearby clock chimed and the bluenette looked up to realize the time with a soft sigh. The school grounds were nearly empty now. Kotori had stayed behind along with Honoka so they could both ask questions about their assignments and had politely told Umi that she could go on ahead. She actually appreciated the kind gesture as it gave her time to prepare, even though she was still trembling. She looked back up at the clock. It shouldn't be long now.

"I finally get it now!"

A voice. Not the one she wanted but it was energetic and signaled that Kotori was near. She peered around the corner to see Honoka and Kotori walking back from the classrooms corridor. Honoka's smile was large and Kotori's soft, so so soft...

"That's great, Honoka-chan. Now we can both get our assignments done." The taupe haired girl said and Honoka nodded. The two walked towards the exit and Umi bit her lip. It didn't look like she had a lot of time left if they were leaving, but she didn't want to talk to Kotori with Honoka there, even if they were all friends. It would just make her more nervous to reveal her feelings in front of two people at the same time.

"Hey, I wonder where Umi-chan went... Do you think she went on home?" Honoka suddenly asked and Umi didn't want to make her presence known. Kotori shrugged in response.

"Maybe? I wouldn't have wanted to make her wait this long anyway so I wouldn't blame her if she did,"

She wasn't sure how to come out of the shadows and reveal herself now, only able to clutch the envelope as she was actually embarrassed to admit that she was hiding from them.

"Oh well," Honoka replied chirpily, heading towards the exit again, "We should head as well then,"

Umi sighed, thinking it was time to make herself known, lifting herself off the locker's side to walk towards them when Kotori spoke.

"Hey, Honoka-chan. I've got something to give you if you don't mind,"

"Oh? Sure!"

There was a brief rustling that sounded familiar and Umi peeked around the corner again. And her heart cracked, tore and sank.

"Honoka-chan, I love you. Please be my Valentine!"

This couldn't be true. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Of course, Kotori-chan! I love you too!"

She couldn't breathe. What was happening? How could this be?

There was a soft sound, but she couldn't bear to look, to see their lips connected and their hands caressing gently. It would just tear her apart even more.

She turned away. Her eyes drifted down to the envelope in her hands. Another noise reached her ears. She crushed it. Blue ink smudged on the pristine paper and leaked onto her fingers. She let it drop to the floor and headed for the back door. She had been too late.


	26. NozomixMaki2

A/N: Ok I know it's been forever which totally goes against my promise of updating regularly, but I've been so busy as exams are coming up so I'm having to study yet I have no motivation. Oh well...

This is the second instalment of my NozoMaki Bodyguard AU from the first NozoMaki in this fic so if you haven't already please read that first!

I've also rearranged the pairings list to make it a bit more free and a mix of Aqours and Muse and not just Muse for 3 chapters and then Aqours for 3 and so on.

The order of oneshot/chapter pairings after this one:

KanaChika (Next)

HonoRin

NozoUmi

YouChika

AnjuEli

UmiMaki

YouRiko

KanaMari

NicoRin

YouHane

Now please read, review and enjoy!

...

Title: Conflicted

Pairing: NozoMaki

Rating: K+

...

It had been exactly a month since Nozomi Tojo had moved into the Nishikino mansion and become her personal bodyguard, and Maki was not impressed.

Well, impressed was maybe not the correct word to use; annoyed and slightly confused seemed to fit the bill more. Over the past few weeks she had been under the employment of her parents, Nozomi had proved to be the most unlikely candidate for a bodyguard the redhead had ever seen. The woman had aspects much like Honoka did as she was extremely kind and energetic, yet she had a calm aura about her that seemed to constantly do its job of calming her forever stressed parents. There was nothing wrong with her figure, not at all, but Maki couldn't help but glance at her well developed..chest sometimes and wonder how she could do half the things usual bodyguards did with something so big getting in the way. She had attended dinner every evening with the Nishikinos and of course during the day she was with either Maki or her parents at all times, and the outfits she wore were on the cutesy side with flowers, stars, soft colours and pretty patterns in the form of dresses and neat skirts with blouses. Her closet just confirmed Maki's thoughts; she looked like a sweet childminder or librarian than a bodyguard!

Maki just couldn't wrap her head around it, but when she expressed it to Honoka all she got was a flash of disbelief.

"Eh? What do you mean, Maki-chan?" The ginger asked after her redhead best friend revealed her thoughts on her 'bodyguard'. The duo were currently in the kitchen where they were fixing themselves some form of lunch, or rather, Honoka was.

"You have to know what I mean! Nozomi, she looks nothing like a bodyguard, not in the slightest!" Maki replied from her seat at the breakfast bar across from Honoka's current position at the countertop.

"Well...I guess..." The older girl mumbled, opening one of the nearby cupboards and reaching up on her tiptoes to grab a loaf of bread. She set it down on the work surface before turning back to Maki. "But that doesn't matter, right?"

"How does it not matter?!" The redhead exclaimed, crossing her arms. "She looks like a childminder for children under four or a librarian rather than a bodyguard! One that can easily be pushed over! What good is that if someone wants to steal from here?!"

There was silence for a long minute, the only sound heard being the clean cutting of tomato, bread and lettuce from Honoka's end of the room. Until the ginger decided to break it.

"It's not all about appearance, Maki-chan,"

"What?" The younger girl said, eyes fixed on her maid.

"Well... I never thought I'd be a maid, y'know? I always wanted to be an idol. I'd get to wear cute dresses, sing lovely songs and meet lots of people who called themselves my fans! It all sounded so magical and I just wanted it so badly!" The ginger cut another tomato sharply down the middle. "But life had other plans. I knew I needed to work to get money, but becoming an idol was out of the question. So I looked for a job. I didn't care what I ended up with; I just wanted to be able to support my family. And that's when I seen your parents' advert for a maid," She placed the sliced tomato on the closest pieces of bread. "I applied for it without a second thought. I had to take my chances, even though I knew I had no chance whatsoever! I was extremely clumsy, not very bright and struggled with simple tasks like washing clothes and making dinners, not to mention the fact that I looked like a homeless child. I expected to be turned away from the door the second it was opened to me, but I wasn't. Your parents let me apply properly, and let me explain myself and even after that they let me take the job! I was so happy," She placed the completed sandwich on a plate and sat it down in front of Maki who had a rather stunned expression on her face. The ginger smiled. "Basically what I'm saying is, don't judge a book by its cover. I didn't think I was suited for this job at all, but your parents still gave me a chance and now I've learned everything that I need to know! All because you were all patient and got to know me first." Honoka winked. "Get what I mean, Maki-chan?"

The redhead nodded sheepishly after a moment, reaching forward for her lunch and took a tender bite without a word. Honoka returned to the counter to prepare her own lunch, but before she reached it, two words made their way to her ears. Her smile only brightened.

...

Maki sighed as she left the kitchen area, thoughts of what Honoka had said ran through her mind. There was nothing that the redhead could even say to counter her friend's advice as it was reasonable and made her feel guilty. And anything that made Maki Nishikino feel guilty was correct and immediately made her previous actions or words wrong.

She felt guilty for a number of reasons, mainly because she knew she had upset Honoka, which was never her intention. She knew the ginger liked Nozomi; she had taken a shine to her immediately, eagerly giving her a tour of the house, making sure she had her fair share of food and giving her the same bubbly smile that she gave everyone around her. Maki hadn't meant to upset; she had only let her opinions get the best of her. She seemed to do that a little too often nowadays.

"I heard all of that, y'know?"

"Eh?!" Maki spun round on her heels, and instantly met the turquoise gaze of her current thought process. Talk about bad timing... "What are you talking about?!"

A small grin settled on Nozomi's lips as she leaned back against the nearest cream wall, slowly with grace that made her seem even more mysterious to Maki. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Honestly I'm hurt that you feel so negatively about me, Maki-chan,"

The redhead was struck dumb. There were various sorts of reactions wandering through her mind at the moment- scream, yell, feign innocence- but she wasn't sure which one would work in her favor. If she had learned anything about Nozomi over the past month it was that she was an extremely good judge of character, and she always seemed to be able to figure out a person straight away. Where people would consider it a gift and skill, Maki considered it an annoyance seeing as it made this situation more difficult for her.

Not sure of which approach to take, she changed the subject.

"W-What are you doing sneaking up on me like that anyway?! I could've easily been more startled and tripped!"

"Well that wasn't the case, was it?" Was her bodyguard's quick and smart reply, her grin spreading a little wider on her lips. Maki grimaced, whilst on the inside she seethed with rage at the tone the purple haired woman had just taken with her. She had come to realize that where the woman had a relaxing and rather kind tone, she could also make use of sarcasm and teasing. Maki often seen Honoka being subjected to Nozomi's tiny teases, and she had to admit that it was slightly amusing to see the flush and pout that crossed her friend's face at the time...

Getting back to her original train of thought, the redhead turned away, crossing her arms as to appear unfazed by both Nozomi's actions and words towards her.

There was a short silence between them that dragged on for what felt like an hour to Maki, but she had no intentions to break it. She didn't know why she didn't just walk away; there was nothing stopping her after all. Part of her was still incredibly curious about her bodyguard and wanted to know why Nozomi had taken up a job that she clearly wasn't suited for with her appearance and attitude. And that part seemed to be getting to her judging from how she had acted with Honoka in the kitchen and how she was acting now.

"I never would've guessed Honoka-chan came from such a rough background,"

"Eh?" Maki turned around again, pulled from her thoughts at Nozomi's words. She faced the purple haired bodyguard who gave her a small smile.

"Honoka-chan; she doesn't look like she comes from as terrible a background as she does. She's so happy and full of life all the time, so much that it's as if she never even came from that sort of place." Nozomi explained. Maki just stood there and listened as the woman spoke. It sounded as if she was happy and even proud but there was something else under all that that the redhead could detect... Sadness...? The pure look of slight hurt and hope on her bodyboard's face cut off the retort Maki had prepared, ready to tell her off for eavesdropping and she had no right to learn all this information about Honoka who hadn't told her willingly. Instead she settled for a mellow response.

"Well, she doesn't let it define her as a person. It doesn't matter what background Honoka came from; she looks forward not back to where she came from," She explained, her mind flashing back to the conversation in the kitchen. She remembered that day incredibly clearly when she had first met Honoka. When the door had been knocked a week or so after her parents had announced the request for a bodyguard for their only daughter, the redhead had expected an older woman that was plain as plain and grumpy to be on the other side, but was greeted by what she instantly could only think of as a teenager. The girl looked closer to her age than that of a usual candidate they received at the mansion, and Maki had a good mind to turn her away just for that, but then she caught a proper glance at her. Ginger hair fell in tangles around her face, part of it in a side ponytail that was barely holding together, the palest skin she'd ever seen yet she had the most beautiful and deep eyes that captivated her despite her initial thoughts. She gave the rest of her a glance over, and shock flooded her system at the state of the girl's clothes; it looked as if this was all she had and she slept on the streets! Without another thought the redhead had tugged the ginger inside, who instantly tried to explain again why she was there in stammers, and presented her to her parents

Maki had no clue why she had done it. Perhaps it was her appearance that reminded the redhead of the poor children she had seen on the streets whilst she drove by without a thought, or the look of utter gratitude and longing in those deep eyes as the family of three fed her and clothed her before accepting her application that she didn't even have for the job of the family maid.

Maybe Honoka was right; it wasn't right to judge someone straight from the start, as she hadn't appeared to be the person she turned out to be and Maki considered Honoka a part of the family!

But she still couldn't be sure about Nozomi.

"You care for her, don't you?" Nozomi spoke up, her eyes trained on the younger woman who seemed as if she was reminiscing.

"What kind of a question is that?" Was Maki's retort, her arms crossing again. "And it's nothing to do with you anyway," She turned the other way and continued down the hallway. What an annoying woman, she thought, huffing.

Unknown to her, Nozomi watched her leave with a small smile crossing her lips. "You put on a cold front, but you really do care, don't you Maki-chan?" The bodyguard looked towards the kitchen where she heard the echoing sound of glasses clinking together and then looked back to where Maki had left. "Hm, you are a mystery, Maki Nishikino. A mystery that I intend to figure out,"


End file.
